Behind Closed Doors (Creepypasta Based Fic)
by A Scribbler
Summary: Full summary inside. The monsters of the stories are watching us, choosing which of us deserves to die for our crimes. But the image we've created for them is how they chose to act for us, but it's just an act. When they return home, the mask comes off. But what if something were to come along and threaten that haven? Remember, not everything is as it seems...
1. The Doors Close

Summary:

_What if the monstrous killers we read about are just characters they play in the public eye? What if they return to a safety where the masks can come off and they can be their own person? But what if the masks must return when they are once again given a 'job' to do: ridding the world of it's scum. Inside the safety of their home, they become people. Twisted and abnormal, of course, but they become people nevertheless. So what if something was to come along and break into the circle? Disrupt it somehow possibly. Just remember: Not everything is always as it seems…_

**A/N:**

**Disclaimer: Ticci-Toby belongs to Deathly-Shadows on Deviantart, future OC belongs to me, all others belong to Creepypasta owners!**

**So this is my first Creepypasta fanic where there will be multiple characters/monsters from the site and one character called Ticci-Toby who I was lucky enough to get permission to use by his creator Deathly-Shadows on Deviantart, thank you so much by the way if you're reading this! Also, there will be on OC of mine at some point, think of her what you will, everyone to their own and all that jazz. I've tried to make this funny and original, but again it's what you the readers think. If you have any complaints or helpful ideas for me, let me know! I'm all ears XD **

**So.. read on!**

We read the stories, listened to the tails, seen the art-work; no doubt even created our own visions and ideas for them. There's a twisted sense of admiration that we hold, wanting more and searching endlessly until the next phase comes along. Oh we fear them also, but that's what intrigues us all the more. The unbeatable monsters. The heartless murderers. The tormenting spectres. The things we cannot explain or even dare to. We crave it. It's a natural instinct to have when coming across something we deem as original and available for our own personal interpretation. Isn't that what we do anyway? We take these ideas, and alter them to satisfy ourselves. But what we forget, deliberately ignore and fail to realise… is that they're watching.

They watch our activity with amused expressions. The fan-work, the elaborate and gory stories that were once so true to the facts but span into the media with the hunger to make the author noticeable. They watch, they listen and they read. And then they laugh. They laugh and mock us for one fact and one fact only. And that fact is this.

It's the fact that we've had it all wrong right from the very beginning…

Yes, they kill, torment, haunt and hunt just as we've heard. But it's not mindless, or bad luck on the victims part. Mostly. It's far more organised than that. You see, there're a lot of bad people in the world. We may even know them, if we're aware of their inner evil that is up to our own naivety, but it's there. And darkness cannot hide within its own shadows forever. They track down this immorality, discover it and examine it with the greatest care. It would be a shame to make a mistake now, wouldn't it? And if this dark secret deems _acceptable_, then they return to silence it.

The culprit is told to _go to sleep_; it's warned that it _shouldn't have done that_; maybe it's given a second chance if it can _spread the word_; more often it's tortured with something _always watching_ in the shadows; an _Alice_ left behind to mock them perhaps. That's just to give a small few options there are to this system. They're all different, and they're all watching.

Of course, we only see and hear of that looming character that is sent out to finish the job. It is never known what goes on behind closed doors. Especially closed doors hidden behind cloaks of secrecy and darkness. For when the 'job' is done, they must return, and in a place where everyone knows what you've just done, what you've just been ordered to do, there is no sense in hiding who you really are. The blood is washed away, the weapons laid to rest, and there's someone in the same position as you not far away. A safe haven of sorts, ironically. The very place that assigns you the deed is your getaway from it. But isn't that good?

The outside character that the media and fans create of you vanish, here you are not the killer, the spectre or the monster, you're you. Not normal, not always human and by far not _stable_; but you. And that is why, at the end of a long night and there's no more to be assigned, they return with one common pass-time in mind. To watch, and laugh. Laugh at the people who they will no doubt be meeting very briefly in the near future. Just as soon as they get the call…

* * *

A young man stained in the crimson patches of past life was sat within the walls of this haven, blade still clutched in hand and slowly digging its way into the table he so desperately leaned against. He was grinning, the corners of his mouth long since sliced into a permanent extended feature. His eyes wide, but not through choice; shadows of insomnia and deformity from a fire long since dimmed had left them encircled in a black emptiness, leaving the actual eyes clinging desperately within the socket boarders. A crazed look illuminated them as heavy breaths whistled through his teeth. He fought with this madness, the memory of this night's stains replaying over and over. Go to sleep… Go to sleep…

_Remember who you are, Jeffery, this image isn't you. It's a mask you wear. And now it is time to take it off…_

Jeff glanced up at the tall, slim man next to him. He had no features, his head the perfect porcelain image that artists would long for to begin their work. But due to this curse, he had no mouth this which to speak. Yet if you were branded, chosen personally by the cursed, then his thoughts were yours to read when he so wished. He could see inside the young ones mind and didn't like what he saw. Time was taking its toll. Mindless, cruel pretences that were worn for the 'job' were easy to put on; but were getting ever harder to remove. Being so young, barely past his twentieth year, Jeff was struggling.

_Take off the act, Jeffery, the others are waiting…_

The boy took a breath, and finally the blade was released, still standing erect within the wood, "Yeah yeah, I know." He shook himself and donned a cocky smirk, "Come on, Slendy it's me we're taking about here! I'm always alright after a sit down," he caught sight of his clothes and shrugged, "and a shower."

_You need to work on your composure…_

"Will do, well, like you said the others are waiting!" Jeff rushed, backing towards the door eagerly, just glad to finally be home again, "So this means I'm off duty for the rest of the week, right?"

_That depends…_

"On?"

_Depending…_

"To the point as always, Slendy, much appreciated."

Jeff, priding himself on even daring to be sarcastic towards his mentor, picked that moment to dart from the room and down the corridor towards his room. The damp patches on his clothes felt oddly cooling against his skin. He enjoyed it. It wasn't part of his public character that he'd accidentally adopted, it was a fact. When it started to dry there was an odd texture to it that when against skin, just made him feel at home. But only for a little while. If it was too wet, or dried too much, then it was just plain gross.

Upon entering his room, the patches were just getting to the disgusting stages and he happily stepped into the shower. The heat stung at his scars, but he didn't mind. They didn't hurt. For he felt there was a difference between a hurt and a sting; stings were signs of feeling, pain was just annoying. Minutes later he emerged and dressed in his favourite white hoodie and an old pair of jeans before opening his laptop and loading up the A.I site: _Cleverbot. _

User: Haunted Majora's Mask

Cleverbot: BEN.

User: what happened to BEN?

Cleverbot: He drowned.

User: Well tell him to suck it up, grab a towel and get his ass over here now, I'm bored as hell.

He barely had time to finish typing his last statement before he felt a chill behind him. Glancing over his shoulder, he caught sight of the familiar translucent figure of what looked like a Link cosplayer hovering lazily in the air with a wry smile quirking his lips, eyes alight with sarcasm within the charred black remains.

"Well since you asked so fucking nicely." The spectre commented, smacking the breather on the back of the head.

"Fuck you." He returned, closing the computer.

"Whatever, how was tonight's special guests?" Ben asked, rolling his eyes.

Jeff shrugged, "Same old. This time it was some stoner who'd been giving his family some shit over the past few years."

"Wow, great story…"

"Hell I wasn't listening to what Slendy told me! Makes no difference to any of us if he stole a candy-bar from his kid or gave his wife a broken rib, it all ends the same way for them."

"Ah yes the ever famous _Go to Sleep…_" Ben scoffed, "Seriously, you should have picked a better phrase there. What's next? Nursery rhymes before bed?"

"Says you. _You shouldn't have done that_… What, are you their mom and they've just kicked a puppy?"

"Fuck off." He rolled his eyes again for good measure, "Oh speaking of pups; I was suffering the net earlier -"

"Literally?"

"Naturally. And guess who's finally gotten their own audio-reading of his fake-out story on Youtube?"

"Not Smile?"

"Who else?"

"Not bad. It's still a crap story though, I mean who comes up with this stuff?"

Ben looked down at his attire, "No clue, but I've got a few bones to pick with them."

Jeff sniggered cruelly, "That story's a load of bull and you know it."

"Yeah but I'd rather have someone else to blame."

"You sure did pick a bad day to go to swimming during an expo, huh?"

"Fuck off."

* * *

Elsewhere, in the room that was generally reserved for socialising, resting and the like, was a young woman shuffling a pack of cards and dealing them out only to collect them once more. Each card was personalised, branded with the name, _Alice_. Across the table, she was joined by a teen boy, head hidden under a dark blue hood, eyes covered by amber-lensed goggles behind which were wide with intrigue at the cards swift movement. He adjusted the barred blockade that covered his mouth and chin so that he could give his neck a satisfying crack. The copper haired woman on the late side of twenty-one glared at him for doing so, stopping her shuffling and turning towards the corner of the room, huffing at another member of company not far off.

"Hey Jack! Are you joining me for a game?"

The hunched figure straightened, revealing a face so pale and covered in gloom it looked icy blue from cold. Although permanent tears of black fell down its cheeks, there were no eyes to stop them. Just two pools of inky blackness. A mouth so small it went almost unnoticed. But it opened a miniscule amount to let some choice words slip though.

"No..." he sighed.

"Awe come on! It's boring as hell here without any jobs heading our way, we've got to pass time some way!"

"I don't want the jobs. I don't want to play." He muttered. Now he was too young for this, the strain building rapidly. Never able to reach his seventeenth, Slender had often wondered if he'd recruited the boy too early.

"God's sake drop the public character already… Actually, put it back on, at least that version of you doesn't talk."

A smug voice slicked over her shoulder, "It was you who started the conversation, Alice."

She turned to catch sight of her challenger, but was only able to see a sneering face vanish into the walls, a stream of shadows snaking after him. Shadow Lurker, she mentally spat, he can piss off too, "Piss off, Shad!" she added openly just for added effect, "And damn it, Toby if you crack your neck one more time I swear to god I'll cut you!"

"I can't help it! And I could say the same for you and your card shuffling." Toby quipped, pouting behind his barred mask, "Shuffle, shuffle, shuffle all day long!" suddenly his chin shot to the left with a violent snap, followed by an unnatural mechanic _tick_, "Oh now that one felt good…"

_Alice, you're needed…_

Everyone in the room flinched as the deep yet silvery voice echoed into their heads. They knew it well, it was their calling. Alice jumped up and pocketed the cards, keeping one to flicker between her fingers. It belonged to the diamond suit, and would not be seen after tonight.

"About time I got some action!"

"You enjoy this too much." Toby scolded, "It's not healthy, you know-_Agh!_" he twitched as his neck fell into another spasm.

"You're the expert." She returned with a sardonic tone, "And it's not the job I like. That takes me, like, ten minutes and I'm not spending that right away when there's an entire place to see first. Why do you think I take so long on my jobs? I want to at least see the world before I take someone out of it."

"It's not good waiting till the last minute." Jack whispered, shaking his head.

"Works for me." She shrugged, eagerly wondering into the corridor, "See ya, losers!"

"Bye!" Toby called after her, but then paused in realisation, "Hey!"

"She's gone, pal." Shad muttered, slithering back through the wall and taking the now occupied seat. He seemed to be dressed in shadows, a gloved and resting on the table to drum thin fingers against the wood rhythmically, "Procrastinating bitch…"

Jack sighed, curling further into himself on the sofa, "So cruel, we're all so cruel."

Shad narrowed his lifeless grey eyes, "We're busy. She knows that the longer she takes all the extra jobs she could take share in get passed on to the next loser."

"Like us!" Toby interjected, Alice's last insult playing in head once more, "Oh wait…"

"What're we waiting for?"

The group looked up to see Jeff burst into the room, eyes wild with his etched grin fixed in place. Ben drifted past him lazily and landed beside Jack, wryly tugging his hood to further intimidate the shy humanoid.

"We're just calling Alice a bitch." Toby answered honestly, "Because she procrastinates. Right, Shad?"

"In a nutshell…" he sighed, irritated at being ratted out.

Ben arched an eyebrow, "So she's on a job?"

"Matter of speaking. After she goes sightseeing of course."

"Bitch." Jeff agreed.

For a moment, the group remained in silence. In honesty, they didn't think that it was fair. Each person in that room was, to put it politely, _unique_ when it came to appearance. Yet Alice was practically indistinguishable from one human girl to another. It was more than easy for her to leisurely take her time among the crowds and pretend for a little while that she was one of them. Back-story unknown, a blank slate was easy to create before the murderous mask was once again put into use. But as for the others, free time amongst others was dangerous. So it was in their best interests that they completed their job as quick as possible, get back to sanctuary without being noticed, and then watch in amusement as the twisted artwork and fan-pages and vaguely described news articles surfaced days later.

Frankly there were moments when those who lived in this hidden haven (the number of occupants unclear but there were many) when they just got tired of one another's company. Ben huffed at the emptiness, "It's days like this why Facebook was invented…"

"Facebook? Since when does Alice have a Facebook? We're not allowed Facebook!" Toby cried, insulted at the unfairness of it all.

"Why the hell would I want a Facebook?" Jeff scoffed, "I've got about fifty fucked up fan-girls setting them up for me already!"

"Oh and some of the things they make you say are just _adorable_ Jeffy-boy." Ben sneered, having hacked many of said accounts in his time.

"Fuck you…"

Shad grinned, sensing an opportunity, "Why not ask Slendy for some… time off?"

"Won't work." Jack mumbled, "Stuck forever."

Ben slumped his shoulders, "I'm fully aware it won't work but I'm willing to try just to get away from the overwhelming sense of joy coming from him." He pointed his thumb to make a point.

Jeff sniggered, "Forget that shit, I say we just get up and out on our own."

"Getting adventurous, aren't we?" Shad mocked.

"Getting a pain in the ass, aren't we?" he shot back.

"You are since you're asking."

"Burn…" Toby chuckled, his shoulders cracking with every movement.

* * *

After much discussion, and with the conclusion that although it was pointless it was still something to do, Jeff, Ben and Shad were making their way down the corridor. Toby had felt bad leaving Jack alone, considering Jack had a nasty habit of falling into his outside character when alone for too long and Slender had ordered he be in near-constant supervision. So the trio ventured out alone.

But one thing stood in their way. It was something so simple that they felt a little ashamed at the unease of it. It was an open doorway. Just beyond it, was _the_ door. The one to the outside world and to a moment of freedom. The thought of full escape had once or twice crossed their mind, sure. But they'd never go through with it. They'd heard stories of previous members attempting that, and they weren't heard of again.

Fear was extremely rare among them; unease however was something of a different matter. They'd already disappeared enough from the world, they didn't exactly want to risk vanishing for real too. So before they could pass on to the outside, they must first find a way to sneak past the first door. This led to a simple, plain room, but who dwelled within it was the one who assigned them to their 'jobs'. And to mess with him was not worth their necks.

The group peered around the doorway. Their mentor lay motionless on top of the sheets of a practically bare bed, the shadows fleeing from his porcelain, featureless face. For a moment, the silence felt like it was going to crush them. Until it was carefully broken by a faint whisper.

"How the fuck do you tell if he's asleep or not?" Jeff asked, looking up at Ben who hovered near the top hinges, "Can't you go invisible or use some kind of ghost shit to find out?"

Ben glanced down at him, "Do I look like Casper the fucking friendly ghost?"

"Guys," Shad muttered, trying to get their attention, but failed.

"No, you look like a pixellated medieval gimp; now get in there and see if he's asleep or not!"

"Guys…" Shad tried to interrupt again.

"Isn't it your job to make people _go to sleep_?" Ben challenged with a mocking tone.

"Guys!

"What?" they snapped, turning to glare at him.

A wry grin appeared on the shadows face, "I'd take another look if I were you."

The pair tilted their heads quizzically, but nevertheless turned to peer back into the room. Jeff, and Ben if he had any, felt their blood turn to ice as the bed which had once held their mentor, was now empty. The darkened room held no sign of him ever even being there. That was one thing they forgot about Slender, if you lost sight of him, then he really could be anywhere. Waiting.

"Have fun boys…" Shad smirked, melting into the wall behind him. His entertainment had been filled, he'd no reason to stick around anymore now.

"Bastard." Ben spat, "Well, uh, good luck buddy."

Jeff watched in outrage as the spectre pulled out a cell-phone which he recognised as his own which he'd managed to swipe some time ago. Ben winked smugly before pressing a finger to the illuminated screen, letting it sink inside along with the rest of his arm and soon enough, his entire being. The phone clattered to the floor and the light dimmed. The remaining member of the group snatched it up and shook it violently.

"Coward!" he hissed.

_Who would you be referring to, Jeffery...? _

The chilling voice inside his head made him straighten up, turning on his heel to gaze up at the towering figure that he had so desperately wished to avoid. He forced a grin, which wasn't hard considering his facial condition, and clutched the phone behind his back.

"Uh-hehe… No one Slendy-uh _Slender_! So… nice night, huh?"

_Nice night for an assignment…_

Avoiding the urge to slump his shoulders, he remained composed, "Couldn't agree more. Here's hoping you have a safe trip."

_I think we both know what I mean, Jeffery…_

At that, Jeff did slump his shoulders, bringing a scowl to go with it. He sighed, "I'll get my knife…"

**A/N:**

**Well that was the intro/first chapter. I hope you liked it and I'd love to hear what you think of it so far. If you don't know who the characters were, message me and I'll let you know. Untill next time folks XD**


	2. Botched Job

**A/N:**

**No Alice is not an OC, she's my version of the killer from the Alice Killings story. And the 'Emily' mentioned in this is also from the Creepypasta story 'Emily'. Go fig… **

**And onwards to chapter two…**

"I'm not doing it."

_Jeffery… _

"No."

_Prey tell why not…_

"He's an idiot and I'll end up killing him!"

_No you won't…_

"Do you really want to take that risk, Slendy?"

Toby head clicked from one side to the other as he watched the disagreement bounce back and fore. After a while, he folded his arms and glared pointedly as Jeff, "You don't like me very much, do you?"

For a moment, Jeff eyed him dejectedly before turning back to Slender, "You see? It's taken him this fucking long to realise a blatantly obvious fact!"

This particular disagreement boiled down to the fact that Ticci-Toby was meant to be accompanying Jeff on his trip to the outside. Slender had been watching the people of the outside, and a particular group had caught his attention. There were many, they were immoral, they were cruel; and their time was due to run out in a matter of hours. But due to the amount of future victims and knowing that they would no doubt put up a fight, Slender concluded that it would be more effective to send two. And as Jeff was still in need of practice to control his mentality switch from public to private and Toby not being outside for almost a fortnight, they seemed the best choices.

But personality-wise, they couldn't have been more ill-matched. Jeff clenched his fist and took a shuddery breath, anger twitching behind his eyes, "I work alone. You know that…"

"So do I." Toby nodded, "So we'll work alone like normal, just on the same job in the same place at the same time."

Jeff growled irritably and aimed his blade at his unfortunate partners face, "Look at what you're pairing me with, Slender! Just look! If we go outside then only one of us is coming back alive and I'm telling you right now I don't plan in dying tonight!"

"Good plan…" Toby muttered with a hint of sarcasm, only infuriating Jeff further.

_Enough of this…_ The silky voice of their mentor demanded, his towering form looming over them menacingly, _You either obey, or face the consequences…_

The pair glanced at one another quizzically, "Such as?" Jeff urged.

Slender tilted his marble-like head to the side, _Do you really want to find out…?_

"No thanks, Slendy." Toby answered for them, despite his mask putting on the widest grin of innocence he could muster up and holding out a hand eagerly, "Address please!"

* * *

Shad wafted through the woodwork and into the room beyond it, sitting on the sofa beside the morose figure of Jack. A sense of pride swelled within him as he had overheard that Jeff was forced into taking another sudden job. Serves him right really for pushing his luck. No one went outside without Slender's say so. And Slender never said so unless there was a job to be done. When outside, the world was yours for a night, as long as the job was done by the end of it. And Jeff needed to learn that. That's more or less the reason why Shad grew so irritable with Alice's procrastination. Why wait to finish the job right at the end of the night? Wouldn't it make much more sense to get it over with, and then spend your freedom doing something to move on from it before being called back once again? But then again, everyone to their own.

And besides, it wasn't as if the nightlife of his… what should he call them? After all this time he'd never found a word for them. Not friends for definite, colleagues seemed too official, housemates seemed so infantile; so he just went with 'others'. So as he was internally monologing; it wasn't as if the nightlife of the _others_ was of any interest to him. He was a tracker. He observed those he was ordered to from the shadows, and reported back to Slender. Without him, Slender wouldn't have half of the jobs he does. And Shad felt proud of that.

He was efficient in his work, and didn't take kindly to those around him abusing it. Like Alice procrastinating. Like Jeff mocking it. Like Jack fearing it. All of it was just irksome and yet… Yet he couldn't help but feel hypocritical in some sense. The amount of times he found himself wondering for his own purposes was almost embarrassing. But, he refused to let himself dwell on it. It wasn't productive at all. A sigh escaped him as he felt a rare glimmer of something inside of him as he wondered what _she_ would be doing at this moment.

"Soon, Emily…" he breathed.

"What was that?" Jack asked quietly, looking up momentarily.

"Mind your own business."

* * *

Jeff lowered his hood as he and Toby entered the gloom-shrouded street. This was it. This was where they were stationed for the night. The knife wielder had deliberately blanked out the reasoning behind his particular killing, he figured that if he knew why Slender thought that people should die, then he was going to start developing his own opinions and that would put himself at risk. And besides, why should there be a reason behind a decent kill? No, this wasn't his public character talking, this was him. If he was in character, then he wouldn't go right for the designated house, he'd stop at each one beforehand on the way. Why? Just because…

"Got the address?" he asked.

Toby waved a scrap of paper in his face before pocketing it, "All here; the Number Nine Nightmares!"

"The number nine what?"

"Nightmares. It's got a ring to it, don't ya think?"

"The Number Nine Nightmares… Okay, here's what's going to happen from this point on," Jeff ordered, pointing the tip of his knife to Toby's chest, "You're not going to say a word. From this moment until we finish the job, not a single fucking word is going to come out of that jacked up little mouth of yours, got it?" Toby just stared at him blankly, making his eye start to twitch, "Do you understand or not?"

Toby looked conflicted before finally choosing to speak, raising his arms desperately, "You just told me not to speak, make up your mind!"

"Oh shut up…" Dropping his shoulders irritably, Jeff stormed down the street, "I'm going to fucking kill Slendy."

The masked boy of barely nineteen jogged a little to keep up with him, using his newfound order of silence to be a good way of getting into the frame of mind for the job. He pulled out his hatchet from the loop of his belt and started making practice swings. He remembered past victims, and how they were so loud. He didn't like them being too loud; loud was good if it was fun, but when it wasn't it just freaked him out.

They stopped at a door numbered with a metallic '9' and Jeff looked at his partner curiously, "I'll go through here and look around before making my way up, you get in through an upstairs window and make your way down. Ready for this?" he asked, his voice getting pitchy with unnerving excitement.

In answer, Toby cracked his head sickeningly to an awkward angle, hatchet in hand. Something about this door wasn't right He raised a gloved finger to his lips and let out a skin-crawling signature "_Shhhhh…_"

* * *

"And you carry the one, then what do you get?"

Trixie watched her sixteen your old brother stare furiously at the paper and shrugged in defeat, "A number?"

She tucked a strand of her sandy hair behind her ear and shrugged, "Well you're not all wrong."

"It's maths, how could I be wrong with that answer? Christ, why did I chose this subject?"

In answer, she rolled her eyes, "You know what Ollie, I asked myself the same question about two or three years ago when I first started."

"And look where it's gotten you; nineteen and still living with the parents." He smirked, giving her a playful shove on the shoulder.

"Oh piss off, my apartment is being fumigated, give me a break!"

"Beatrix Dole, watch your language!" Trixie flinched and turned to see their mother tapping her foot in the doorway. Her mother rolled her eyes, "What're you two up to anyway?"

"Oh I'm just helping Ollie do his maths coursework that's due in tomorrow." She shrugged innocently.

Ollie gave her a wicked glare, to which she returned with a sneer that only an older sister could pull off. It was the kind of look that said 'If I'm going down for swearing, you're going down for this'.

"I really don't know what to do with the pair of you, you're as bad as each other." She scowled, but brushed it off, "Well you get it from your father, that's for sure. He still hasn't fixed the door number. That poor post-man…"

Trixie stifled a snigger, "He said he'll do it on the weekend."

"He just didn't specify which weekend." Ollie added to himself.

Their mother sighed again, more dismissively this time and looked at her watch, "Shouldn't you be thinking about heading to bed? It's getting late."

Ollie groaned, "I've been thinking about sleep since starting this thing!"

"Wow, an entire fifteen minutes…" Trixie scoffed. Frankly she felt that she was way to old be to told when she should and shouldn't go to bed, but then again it was pretty late. But it was the principle of the thing, "I'll head to bed, but I'll be on my computer for a little while." She bargained.

"Half an hour tops." She agreed, "And no, Ollie, you're not staying up to finish that, it should have been finished over a week ago."

"Well the deadline's tomorrow afternoon so not really." he muttered privately.

Flashing her brother a secret nod of approval, Trixie ruffled his hair affectionately before kissing her mother on the cheek and wishing the pair goodnight. As she made her way up the stairs to her room, she paused along the corridor to peek her head into her father's study to see him delicately adjusting the fixture of a spice-rack that he'd been building for the past few days.

"How's it coming along?"

He looked up and smiled in triumph, "Almost done, should be on the wall by lunch tomorrow."

"Great," she smiled sheepishly, "because the old lady wants you to fix the front door."

"I know, I know; it'll be done tomorrow. And careful, you know she gets sensitive about being called Old Lady."

"Only of she hears me." Trixie grinned, "Goodnight."

"Goodnight, love."

Trixie waved as she left the room and wondered a few doors over until she was laying on her bed, back propped up by pillows and laptop against her knees. With her door closed, her parents never need know that she planned on breaking the half an hour tops rule. Well not really planning I, but figured that it would get broken anyway so why deny it? The minutes ticked away, the sounds of shuffling and creaking sounded around the house as her parents and Ollie heading to bed. And then, there was silence. A silence which was occasionally broken by the clicking of her fingers on the keyboard. But as the fatigue started to set in, Trixie figured it was time to join the silence and at least try to pretend the she was going to be fully awake tomorrow.

She switched off the laptop and shifted under the covers, switching the bedside lamp off, flooding the room in shadows. But as her eyes closed, a feeling of unease came over her. Hadn't she turned the computer off? She was sure she had, so why was the rhythmic sound of clicking and tapping still echoing from outside her room? Maybe Ollie was sneaking a few minutes on the internet before bed; or was it her father still in the study? Yeah it was one of those, nothing to worry about. Just sleep, she told herself, it's too late in the night to be playing mind games.

With that thought in mind, she did in fact sleep for some time, but she found herself awakening with a need to use the bathroom. Half asleep, she trudged groggily down the stairs to use said facility. Minutes later, she emerged and was about to head back up to her room once more, when she paused at the bottom of the steps, hearing odd noises. Shuffling and grunting, almost in desperation. Trixie instinctively took a step backwards.

Feeling herself gag, she realised that the noises were coming from her parent's room. People who had two children, one already moved out and the other not far off, all acts of affection should be banned until the nest is empty, Trixie inwardly whined. This was disgusting and she did not feel comfortable going back upstairs where it would only get louder. Finally it stopped; the silence swelling with unnatural tension, like something was quite right. And then, it was shattered. A voice, raspy and tinted with excitement, it was almost inhuman. And despite the innocence of the words, they couldn't have been more threatening.

"Go, to, sleep…"

She slapped a hand over her mouth to stop a shriek of panic. Who the fuck was that? Part of her wanted to race upstairs and find out, and yet fear was making her back away. The rhythmic clicking had returned, this time closer, louder. A cold chill crept up her arm, curling around her neck. She glanced to the side and trembled at the sight that beheld her. The front door was wide open. Someone was in the house. Someone was upstairs. And apart from the ticking, everything was too quiet.

"No… No…" was all she could muster, miniscule whispers that didn't even dent the silence.

From the gloom, something stepped towards her. She shrieked silently and cowered away. The hooded figure pressed a finger to its covered mouth, a gleaming, miniature axe in hand, and very calmly let out a long, "_Shhhh…_"

Trixie found herself backing away, accidently cornering herself into the kitchen. Her hands fumbled at the draw, hands clasping on the first sharp utensil she could find. But the minute she turned back to threaten the intruder, he was already within swinging distance of her. He shushed her once more. She felt the blood pulsate at the back of her head, heart begging to escape through her ribcage, tears pouring down her face. She didn't want to die. Were her family dead? She didn't know. But she was going to be hacked to death by this thing, this monster. And there was nothing she could do about it.

"No…" she whispered once more, just as the intruder raised his weapon, a sickening crack at his shoulder.

"No!"

A solid human bulk slammed into the strangers side, knocking him to the floor. Trixie sank to the floor, knife poised in front of her. Her eyes widened in horror as she saw her brother tackling him to the ground. Trixie couldn't move. It was as if her body had shut down, cruelly forcing her mind to etch it into her memory. Fear paralysed her. A cruel chuckle could be heard in the doorway as another figure swooped in, an eccentric smile carved into his face. It was horrifying. Trixie sobbed, eyes wide but still unable to move. This was how it ended…

The second stranger twisted a blade of his own cruelly, looking down at Ollie with an inhuman cackle. And just like that, he swung it downwards, plunging it into his shoulder. The axe-wielder thrust his weapon into the teenagers throat, showing the floor in scarlet as he jaggedly tugged it to the side. Trixie screamed, the life of her brother pooling at her bare feet, rising up the cloth of her pyjamas. She couldn't save him, she couldn't do anything. And just like that, it was as if her mind finally took pity on her. It shut down, caressing her in darkness. Letting her dream of the horror she just witnessed before no doubt falling to the same fate. But she wouldn't feel it; she was unconscious and in theory, practically half-dead anyway.

* * *

Gasping for breath, Toby shook himself, eyes clearing and trail of thought slowly returning to him. It was done, why keep the act up any longer now? He looked at Jeff, "And is Jeffy back in the building?"

"Well, looks like our job's done." Jeff announced, wanting to get off the topic and not wanting to admit that the craving for a kill had not died now just yet, "Homeward bound as they say."

"But, what about her?" Toby asked, crouching down with an audible quirk from his knees so that he was at the girls level. He noticed she was still breathing, and thus the work wasn't finished.

"Didn't we kill her already?"

"Nah she passed out. Should we finish it off?" he asked, slumping his shoulders, "I'm too tired…"

"Not our problem." Jeff shrugged, not feeling in the right frame of mind to get back into character for a second time, he might end up doing something Slender would regret if he did. But the urge to kill was so temping.

"I guess we can come back tomorrow. Or!" Suddenly his eyebrows shot up, "Hey can we keep her?"

"She's not a pet, Ticci, she's a kid and she's not our problem." Jeff stated, trying his best to keep his temper. Come to think of it he could hardly call this girl a kid, but compared to him why not? But nevertheless his temper must stay under control, he would not get bonus points if he made Toby 'go to sleep' before getting back…

"Come on! And Slendy wouldn't mind, he loves kids! He likes us doesn't he?"

Man this guy needed a reality check, "We aren't kids, Ticci… we're leaving. If you ask me Slendy's losing his mind, this was hardly a two person job and frankly I don't see the threat."

"But look at her!" Toby cooed, roughly patting the paralysed stranger roughly on the head, "She's got a knife! Who _wouldn't _want to take that home?"

Jeff slapped his hand to his forehead in exasperation. He could feel the dripping knife twitch under his fingers and remaining in control was a struggle, "Technically we should be killing her too, she's a witness and for all we know she's part of the Number Nine Nightmares." He paused and gritted his teeth in a growl, "Damn it now you've got me saying it!"

Toby straightened up, tilting his head questioningly with an audible snap, "Uh, this isn't number nine. This is number six."

"What are you talking about now?"

"This is number six. Look I'll prove it."

The knife-wielder grudgingly let Toby lead them out of the room and away from the frozen girl until they were standing at the front door. Toby opened it and pointed to the number on the woodwork, one screw missing from its fixture. As the door moved, the number swayed a little, proving that it was somewhat out of place. Jeff used a finger to swivel the number around, matching the missing screw loop with the small, almost invisible chip in the wood where the metal once lay. A growing rage and realisation dawned on him as he stared at the number. That mocking, crooked, number six.

"Told you." Toby shrugged, looking pleased to finally get one over on his company, "Number nine is across the street."

"And why didn't you point this out earlier?" he snarled, teeth clenched together.

"Simple. You told me to shut up and not to say a word until later. I was just following orders."

"So you just thought it was a good idea to carry on killing people in the wrong house?"

"Actually I thought it was a practice run." He shrugged crookedly.

"Do you have any idea what's just happened?" Jeff yelled, slamming him into the doorframe and pressing the blade to his throat, "We've just killed innocent people for no good reason!"

"When does that bother you?"

"It doesn't! Hell if it were up to me I'd go back in there and finish a job well done but _Slender_ on the other fucking hand _is_ going to be bothered! Understand?"

"I think he'd see it more as a learning curve not to team us up together in the future." He shrugged, "Uh, Jeff, you don't look so goo-"

"I'm going to fucking kill you!" he cried suddenly, pulling back the knife and swinging it downwards.

Toby snapped his neck to the side just in time to see the metal splinter into the woodwork. He shoved Jeff away and pulled out his hatchet in defence. He knew what was happening to Jeff, the slightly darker eyes and maniacal grin, scars showing prominent as he lunged for another attack; Jeff had fallen back into his outside character. And Toby was now the latest target. Now he had two options, try and calm him down back to sanity, or risk falling into his own persona by fighting him. Neither option sounded good. Or in favour of his health either.

"Don't blame me, Jeff, I was just doing what you told me to!" he insisted childishly, blocking another stab with his hatchet, "Do you want me to listen or not, make up your mind!"

"Go to sleep!"

"Not tired, sorry." He shrugged, taking a swipe at Jeff out of reflex and missing by inches, "Now listen to me! Wake up!"

Jeff leap forward, weapon at the ready, Toby standing firm and raising his. Yet neither was permitted to act upon it. Black snake-like tendrils shot out from the shadows, looping around the pairs necks and lifting them into the air, slamming them on opposite walls with enough force to make the troublesome door-number swing threateningly. The dizzying collision made Jeff shiver in awakening. He seethed for a moment, remembering the reasoning behind it, but was too distracted by the invisible force strangling him to even think about loosing control again.

_You failed…_

It was a statement, not a question. And neither of them needed to guess who had uttered it, the inhumanly tall figure gliding into the room was recognisable from a mile away. Slender… Jeff glowered and pointed his blade at the creature warningly, "I would have done the job if I didn't have Tick-prick here messing things up!"

"Don't blame me for following orders!"

Jeff's eyes burnt, "How about I give you some and then you'll have a reason for that drainage grate on your face!"

Suddenly they were both silenced by something slapping harshly against their wrists, knocking the weapons to the ground. A throbbing pain was summoned to their foreheads as the tentacles forced the pair to smack their heads together before releasing them to the ground.

"What was that for?" Jeff demanded, clutching the bump under his bangs.

_To silence the bickering… I succeeded… Now tell me, what happened…_

The story was retold, every careless mistake and weak threat taken literally, and Jeff felt more and more murderous with each word. Toby felt a pang of unease that maybe he should have pointed out the location flaw, but he figured that no matter what he did it would just end up annoying people so what was the point? It was done.

_Any survivors…? _

"Not really." Jeff shrugged, just wanting to get home and forget this night ever happened.

"One girl fainted. But… she looks pretty dead, apart from the whole breathing thing." Toby corrected.

_Did she see either of you kill…? _

"One kid but what's that got to…" Jeff clenched his fists, "Oh you've got to be fucking kidding me!"

"What?" Toby asked, eyes darting back and fore.

"You're such an idiot! If someone see's any of us kill, then they get the Sickness."

"Oh yeah, that's how you got involved, right?"

Jeff didn't have time to confirm that, ear-splitting sounds of sirens flooded the air followed by flashing lights of red and blue. They couldn't stick around for much longer. There was no time to right the wrong. No time at all. Slender calmly looked at the boys, hidden rage beneath his pale exterior.

_Home… Now… This shall be discussed later…_

**A/N:**

**More on that in the next chapter. Please review! XD**


	3. Suffering with the Sickness

**A/N:**

**So what's this Sickness that people have been talking about? Well even though it's explained here, for more information check out Creepypasta's website under 'Slender Sickness'. That should give a better clue if I fail, lol XD**

**Thanks again for the reviews! Keep 'em coming! And if you haven't reviewed yet then why the hell not? Lol jk, I don't bite, but I do want to hear what you think XD**

Alice slumped onto her bed and closed her eyes tight. That kill hadn't been as smooth as she'd wanted it to be. It was just one guy, so the diamond card was a perfect match to leave behind. It was her thing, her stamp, a signature that she'd become taken with. It set her aside from the rest. With her, it didn't end up looking like some random killing or a mess to clean up. When she left a scene, it was with a style all her own. In a way she saw it as a way to keep in touch with the outside world. The personalised cards left people talking about her, thinking about her… That way, she was never truly forgotten. So with that mindset in place, she'd followed her target into his local drinking cess-pool, gotten invited back to his place. And offered him one last game of cards…

Something damp nudged her arm. Opening one eye lazily, she glanced down and saw a husky dog prodding her elbow with its nose. At least, at one point in the past she presumed that it had been a husky. Now, it was practically bald; clumps of matted black hair around it's head and ears, patched along its back down to the ttail. The animals skin was raw, looking burnt and matched the red in its eyes perfectly. But what was the most noticeable trait about this creature, was its mouth. Snout long burnt away, all that remained was a stump of a nose, and a strangely human-like grin. Wide and large, permanently presented in a malicious sneer. Alice however, instead of fearing it as so many have done in the past, casually patted the creature's head and sighed.

"Hey, Smile." The dog nudged her arm again and carefully bit her sleeve, tugging at it, "What? I'm tired." But no matter how much she protested, he continued to persist, "Okay, you win, mongrel."

It rolled its eyes and allowed her to get up. It was common knowledge that Smile was by far more intelligent and vigilant that people would give him credit for. He may look like some mutated mutt but under the matted fur and burnt skin was a consciousness surpassing any canine.

Alice was led towards the room that was most commonly known as The Informer, purely because that's the place where they were all informed of their jobs. The targets, the reasoning and locations etc. Inside, it confused her to see that everyone had already gathered there. Shad and Ben hovered in the corner, Jack slumped near them with his eye-sockets aimed at the floor morosely. A thin, humanoid creature with talons tapping unnervingly against the tiled floor was crouched on all fours by the door, empty and blank eyes swivelling to look at her. Rake, Alice clarified, he didn't show up often, this must be serious. The creature hissed at her in acknowledgment, to which she nodded a return greeting. But what made things seem all the more serious, was the way Slender stood, looming over Jeff and Toby in such a way that she'd only been the victim of once. And it instantly brought a smirk to her lips.

"Oh it's about time you messed up, Jeffy-boy."

"Yeah you're so smug now the shoe's on the other foot, huh?" he returned, "Wasn't so funny when it was you standing here!"

"That was never my fault. And now I'm stuck living with the consequences every time I see… well _that_." She snapped, indicating to Jeff in general.

"And this wasn't my fault! It was his!"

Toby narrowed his eyes, "I was just doing what you told me to; don't be so damned literal next time!"

She shrugged in false coyness, "So what did I miss?"

Slender's voice echoed inside their minds, explaining the situation. As he spoke, Jeff became more and more agitated while Toby started to rub his elbow uneasily. Every single detail was given. The misunderstanding of the address, the merciless massacre of two adults and a young teenage boy, forgetting to finish a started job (correct or not) and then alerting the attention of the public and authorities. Needless to say it was not looking good.

_Because of your inability to complete a simple task, we now are faced with a possible issue…_

"Yeah," Ben agreed, "You guys are spreading the Sickness; that's _my_ job."

"So someone saw you kill?" Shad asked calmly, "How careless…"

"We're all careless." Jack muttered, "We're left without care of anything anymore…"

Ignoring that, Jeff clenched his fists, "I would have finished the job if it wasn't for -"

Slender interrupted Jeff with a sudden raise of his hand, _It was not the job you were sent to do… And the Sickness has already set in…_

The Sickness. It was a myth at first, much like themselves, but it was all too soon proved to be real and effective. What made it so effective? It was transferred visually. So if you viewed something that had been tampered with by a branded Proxy member, then you were infected. It was the same with a kill. You can never truly un-see something, no matter how much you wish for it. It becomes engraved in your mind, close to the surface or buried within the subconscious, it doesn't really matter, it's there, haunting you. And if you were a branded Proxy, meaning someone accepted and marked by Slender, then you were frozen in time, forced to carry out these jobs, never truly free and yet free from the world itself. To survive the Sickness, was to become a Proxy. But the only way to give into the Sickness, was to openly ask what you feared for the cure…

But there are two methods to this Sickness, it is unsure which is the worst, but that's part of its 'charm'. Type one: Deliberate. Once infected, they can track you. Learn about you. Watch you. They can find you. They watch the paranoia, insomnia and depression consume you, make you weak. And then they'll come for you; making you pay for what you've done. Type two however: Accidental. This time, all symptoms are by far more severe and dangerous. The paranoia burns at your skull, insomnia screaming in your skull and the depression… deadly. If you give into it, then you may as well have held the same fate as the people who suffered Type One. But if you survived the worst of it, asking your fears for help, then you had no choice but to be –

"So, what're you saying Slendy?" Alice asked suddenly, "We're going to _encourage_ the Sickness, right?"

"Still one number off the big one-hundred body-count, are you, Alice?" Jeff mocked.

"I'm just saying, we don't need to drag some randomer off the street into somewhere they're not wanted or needed." She returned. More people mean less jobs to go around, and she wasn't giving up her moments of freedom for anyone. So if that meant encouraging the illness and making the victim give into it, then that was fine by her.

_We let it run its course… Time will tell…_

"We haven't had a newbie since…" Ben paused in thought and then looked at Smile, "You, about two years ago."

"Does he count?" Shad asked sceptically, personally believing that Jeff should count as the last recruit, "There goes our five year record for not getting caught."

"I've gotta say," Toby nodded, "Considering we've been doing this for some years… we look great!"

The group looked at Slender, unsure where to go with that. The expressionless mentor slumped his shoulders a little, _The branding stops the aging process, Toby, you're aware of this… _

This was true, to be branded with the blood of a creature like Slender, a demon, then aging was no longer a factor. Like mentioned before; you became never truly free and yet free from the world…

"I know _that_." He shrugged, shoulders clicking, "I'm just saying, we stopped aging at a pretty good time." He sniggered, looking at Jeff sneakily, "Except you maybe, should have stopped you a few months earlier."

"Not another fucking word out of you." Jeff snarled; Rake hissing in agreement from the shadows.

"Are you sure you want to go down that road again?" Toby mused.

"It never ends." Jack muttered, shaking his head mournfully, "Constant loop and no escape."

Ben rolled his blackened eyes, "Positive attitudes all around then."

Shad looked at their mentor quizzically, "So who's going to monitor the Sickness?"

There was a long, slightly awkward pause. And slowly, it dawned on them that there was only one member of this screwed up little group that was not present. Slender straightened up and gave the answer with as much dignity as he could.

_Widemouth…_

"You're sending that fuzzy little creep?" Alice spat, "No offence, Slender, but that guy's about as subtle as a boning knife to the head."

"We're not here to talk about your sex life, Alice." Jeff muttered.

"And we're not here to talk about your fetishes either."

"You'd know, would you?" Ben asked mockingly.

"Not as much as you, Ben." She quipped.

_Enough of this… My word if final.. Now don't concern yourselves with this any longer… The odds of surviving the Sickness is slim… Chances are we won't be needing to act at all… I've informed you of the possibilities…Now away with you, I'm sure there's something else you all should be doing… _He watched them leave, shaking his head, _Time will tell…_

* * *

Every time Trixie closed her eyes, she saw it. But it was so swift and blurred, just as it had been the first time around that sometimes it was hard to make out more than colours and shadows. She felt some twisted sense of relief in that. Yet there was no force on earth that could make her forget that look on her brothers face as the hatchet dragged into his throat, as that knife drove between his ribs. The blood that pooled at her feet, swarming as if marking her with guilt. His mouth had been contorted in agony, fixed in fear. And what killed Trixie the most, was the look of desperation her gave her as the light faded from his eyes, and the knowledge that she couldn't help him.

"I had a weapon, both of those monsters weren't paying me any attention," she said one day, "I could have done something."

"It's been a _month_, Beatrix, you need to stop thinking like this." Her psychiatrist said, jotting down a note or two on his notepad and sighing, "There were no monsters that night, we've talked about this."

It was like she wasn't even in the same room as him, staring off into the corner of the room, "I could have not passed out, I could have tried to distract them so that Oll…" she trailed off, that name had been a constant struggle, "So that _he_ could have gotten away or something."

Trying to reassure her, the therapist nodded calmly, "It's all too easy to think about the past and what could have been; but you need to be realistic and accept this and what happened."

"I should have tried to stop them… They're still out there." She insisted, bloodshot eyes darting around the room, "Th-The-"

The psychiatrist cut her off suddenly, "These monsters aren't real, Beatrix, you know this. You created them to cope with what really happened that night. Can you remember what happened? The truth?"

Truth? She knew the truth, "Yes. The pale smiling one with the knife, and the one with orange eyes and a metal mouth broke in. They killed them all… And I did nothing…" her heavy eyes blinked, tears slipping away, "But you all tell me that's not real. You tell me that I killed them. Why are you doing this to me?"

Feeling that like their last session, this was reaching a dead end and so he changed the subject, "How have you been reacting to the medication?"

Trixie lay back in her bed at the question, letting out a low sigh. Her sandy hair clung to her forehead with sweat as her fever built, the white hospital gown dotted with scarlet from her most recent nosebleed. They'd been happening regularly. Like clockwork throughout the day. Just like the violent seizures and fits that called for the straps that held her to the mattress. Just like the lack of sleep and endless nights of watching shadows sneak across her windowless room. But they weren't just shadows, she knew, they were so much more. Because shadows don't have eyes, and shadows don't whisper.

Realising that she still hadn't answered the question, she closed her eyes and allowed a hollow laugh, "Which one?"

The psychiatrist didn't stay long after that comment. It wasn't as if it helped. Trixie had been asked the same questions practically everyday since arriving at… she couldn't exactly remember where she was as in location. But she just wished that it would just kill her already. She fully understood why she was there. It didn't matter what the psychiatrist said; she knew that her story wasn't being believed. She wouldn't believe it herself if she was on the other side of these straps.

Creatures with wide, unnatural grins and metal mouths; chittering shadows beneath her bed that mocked her didn't seem like reality. But then again, neither did having her parents and brother brutally murdered. So, Trixie had let them pump her with whatever they thought would help her. She wanted to forget. Part of her wanted to believe that the monsters were just part of her imagination and that when the police found her all those weeks ago alone with a knife in a pool of cooling blood, their accusations had been right. But that was only a small part of her. Because she knew it wasn't true. She knew they were out there. And the shadows were swarming at her again, the whispers curling around her mind. That thing that lurked out of sight chuckling darkly.

"No… Leave me alone…" Trixie sobbed, fatigue making her skull throb uneasily, "Get away from me!"

"Not gonna hurt ya, sweetheart, just enjoying the snow is all." the sneering whisper stated, "Why the change of heart, you haven't spoken to me since your first night here."

Her first night. Now that really had been a nightmare. But that was before the restraints and medication. When she first caught sight of the lurking creature beneath the bed frame, there was nothing stopping her from cowering away and screaming for help, once again freezing in fear and unable to move. The people outside didn't see it though, all they saw was a killer, traumatized by her own actions. And now, so much time had passed and she'd given up…

"Go away." She grunted, thrashing against her restraints, before falling limp once more, she couldn't take this anymore, "Just kill me, please…"

"Not my job, that's up to you at anytime you like."

"You don't think I would if I could?" she asked weakly, closing her eyes so that she didn't have to look at the sliver eyes peering up at her, "Are you real? Or are you in my head like the shadows?"

"Think what you want, sweetheart," it cackled wryly, "It'll speed things up."

What did that mean? If he was part of her mind, then why couldn't she see her brother, or her parents? Why him? "I'm done…"

"Say the magic words." It taunted.

Gritting her teeth, Trixie forced her eyes open and staring the creature right in the eyes. Her breath caught in her throat, a scream begging to be let free. The monsters imp-like form smiled at her grotesquely with an abnormally large mouth that bore rows of needle pointed teeth. Silvery eyes shone in the gloom and for a moment, Trixie felt her heart stop.

"Please, take this away, make it stop…"

It shrugged, "Generic request, but I'll take it." Suddenly, the thing pounced, slashing its claws at the straps and pinning her shoulders down. Trixie whimpered and found herself paralysed. It leant in close, teeth so close to her. The fear set in, and he fed from it. Finally, she opened her mouth to scream, but the creature took full advantage and shoved its paw into her mouth, dropping a small and acid-like pill on her tongue. As she writhed in agony, the thing pulled away and smirked in triumph, "Time to go, sweetheart…"

**A/N:**

**Mr. Widemouth, he may look like a cross between the Cheshire Cat, a Gremlin and a Furby but he's one perverted and sadistic little creep. Check under your beds kids… **


	4. Welcome to Hell

**A/N:**

**So many reviews XD Thank you all so much! I'm so glad you like this and I can't wait to hear more from you! So in the last chapter, Trixie had given into the call, so there's only one place for her to go… Yikes…**

Jack dragged his feet as he made his way with ironic blindness down to the common room. He was alone, he shouldn't be alone. Last time he was alone he blacked out and when he came to he didn't know where he was, and more importantly, he didn't know whose corpse he had been feeding from. He hated himself, and he wished that he didn't have to do this, but it was who he was now. And that's what made it all the worse. He was trapped within himself, forced to cause pain on others that he himself had suffered in the past. Jack; Eyeless Jack, was never meant to be alone.

He paused a few yards from the common room door, just listening. Conversations, bickering, the static of the TV, it reminded him too much of what used to be. He didn't want to break the illusion just yet, so he'd wait a while. But then a new noise behind him made Jack turn. He couldn't see, but he could sense. Forever blind unless gorging on the life of another, in such cases he gets to live their life, just more a moment… But sensing the unseen was his gift. And he was using it now. He sensed someone, a Proxy, but not a branded Proxy so it must have been an original like Slender. But it had something with him, something alive but motionless. Something human.

"Not another." He sighed, shaking his head as he finally entered the common room.

"Hey there, Jackie, how's the happy pills treating you?" Jeff announced, "Could be stronger?"

"It's here." He answered quietly.

"What is?" asked Ben tiredly, not bothering to turn away from the TV.

"The new one."

Alice glared at him, "Are you shitting me?"

Jeff smacked a hand to his forehead and groaned, "For fucks sake… It's been a month, didn't she kill herself by now?"

Ben smirked, "Looks like someone's luck's just ran out…"

"Should've just killed her, but no, Slendy just had to step in, didn't he?"

"You're blaming Slendy for this? Seriously?" Alice scoffed, starting to shuffle her deck of cards with irritation.

"Kind of, but I'm blaming Toby more and if he was here I'd snap his neck! Fuck this shit!"

"I'm sure he'd snap his own neck for you." Ben shrugged, "What's the big deal anyway? It's just a newbie."

A newbie who's going to cut down my already limited freedom, Alice thought to herself; Jeff however was thinking of the amount of hassle he was going to get from Slender. A newbie meant all the trouble of going over the rules, going over explanations, answering countless questions and dealing with split-characters. The trouble wasn't worth it, and he had enough things to do without having a lost kid tripping up around the place. It wasn't his fault! Toby was the one who screwed that night up. He should have killed her when he had the chance. Come to think of it, he might make up for lost time later.

"I just can't be assed." Jeff admitted.

"Guys, guys, you're missing out on a good opportunity here." Ben replied in a mockery of a soothing tone, hovering in the air to circle the pair with a hint of patronisation, "You don't want the newbie here, no doubt she isn't too pleased about it either. She's alone, she'll be scared, she'll be running around every corner and fighting tooth and nail to get out of here."

"Get to the point cyber-glitch." Alice moaned.

"All she's going to see are monsters and killers. And who are we to deny our expectations?" The spectre paused and put his arms around their shoulders, grudgingly locking them in place, "Don't think of her as a newbie; think of her as the new entertainment."

Jeff thought about it. Things had gotten pretty quiet around here lately, and he'd missed giving a good jump-scare and putting his knife at work. Who better to get into mild practice with than an ignorant newbie? And if he did a good enough job, with any luck she'd put herself out of her misery, or flat out run and get herself killed anyway and problem solved.

The killer grinned slyly, "Ben, shall we go and play with our new toy?"

* * *

"Special delivery."

Slender turned to look over his shoulder at the knee-high creature covered in matted dark fur, showing off its teeth in a large grimace. In its paws was the ankle of a young girl wearing a plain hospital gown, sandy hair tousled and greasy with sweat. She was silent, but breathing heavily. The sour smell of acid was on her breath from the pill she'd been forced to swallow. It hadn't been a cure, there is nothing that can cure the Sickness. What she had been given was a… well you would most likely call it a type of medication. This medication muted the effects of the Sickness so much so that it was as if you had never suffered from it. But as soon as you slipped into your 'public-appearance', it all too soon came flooding back to you. It controlled it, but didn't take it away.

_She asked for help then…?_

"More or less."

_More or less…_ Slender repeated, _You cannot cut corners at a time like this…!_

"Who's cutting corners?" Widemouth asked defensively, "I took the watch shift for a month, excuse me if I took while the taking is good."

Slender glanced at the girl, taking note of the marks along her arms and ankles where the restraints had held her. But they weren't deep or permanent; she had been willing to give up from the start, he concluded. No doubt if she hadn't been under professional watch, she would have ended this long ago. Now that, Slender thought to himself with some amusement, is cheating. But she wasn't the first, most likely won't be the last.

Her eyes were darting back and fore beneath her eyelids, muscles throughout her body twitching involuntarily. She could vaguely hear them, flickers of light that forced their way through delivered shapes and shadows, not quite human but close enough that she wished she could open her eyes properly to see them. See if they could help her. Take away this numbness she fought so furiously.

Slender looked at the time and straightened up, _I don't have time for this right now… I'll be back tomorrow evening… Until then take her to one of the spare rooms, I'll have Alice take charge of her until then…_

"Pray tell why can't I take charge of the sweetheart till then?" the creature asked wryly.

_You don't need me to answer that…_

* * *

Trixie gasped and shot up into sitting position, hands clawed at the sheets beneath her as she looked around in panic. Where was she? The bare room with only the bed she lay on, a desk and closet gave her nothing to go by. The restraints had gone, the little window in the door where she'd been viewed like a goldfish had vanished. Yet the gown remained. And the whispers had gone with them. No shadows danced her now, no unseen creatures breathed in her ear. Abandoned was the longing for death in fact she felt… She felt healthy. Alive even for the first time in weeks. Just tired and sore. Mostly on her tongue, a leftover burning sensation tingled at her, making her wince.

"You'll want this to take the taste away."

She flinched and turned to see a reasonably attractive girl a few years older than her leaning against the far wall, shuffling cards tiredly. Waves of copper hair hung by her waist and blue eyes rolled at the lack of response. The stranger nodded to the desk close to the bed, indicating a glass of water. Too eager to extinguish the embers in her mouth Trixie grabbed at the glass and emptied it. Gasping from the cold, she dared to speak.

"Wh-where am I?"

The girl extended her arms dramatically, "Welcome to hell, hun, you're going to be here for a while."

"I-I was in a hospital and…" Trixie racked her brains to remember. That creature, it had done something to her, "…and that thing it-"

"I'm not here to listen to back-stories. I'm here to keep an eye on you until Slendy comes back and fills you in."

"Fill me in?" she asked, not wanting to know what a 'Slendy' was.

"Pretty much." The stranger sighed, looking both bored and irritated with the situation, "There's an on-suite through there for you to clean up and you can borrow some of my clothes for now. I'll be back in twenty minutes, don't keep me waiting I'm not in the mood for it. Like this for example," the girl suddenly turned suspicious and stormed towards the bed, crouching down and grabbing something that lay beneath it. She pulled out a grinning, struggling creature that made Trixie's blood run cold, "Get out of here you little pervert!"

The creature wriggle in the girls arms as she left the room, but as the door closed, it winked at Trixie menacingly, "See you around, sweetheart!"

* * *

"Alice, where're we going?"

"You've got to meet the rest of the inmates." She answered.

"But… what was that thing? And what are we all doing here?"

"I've told you, that's not my job. I've done enough of people's dirty work around here. You meet, you greet, and then I'm done."

Trixie didn't understand. All she had been able to gather from this tour was that everything she saw in the hospital had been real, and that she wasn't suffering anymore so she'd been sent here. When she'd first heard that, Trixie had figure that she'd died in that tomb and this was her punishment. But no, it had all been real. The creature, the shadows, the medication, the psychology tests… and the monsters tearing her family from her.

Alice had done her job and given the kid some time to get her bearings. So what if the girl was confused, it was Slender's job to fill in newbies, not her. For the first time ever, she just wanted to get to the others and palm her off onto someone else. So she'd stuck around this long, now enough was enough. Why did Slender have to give the job to her anyway? Like she didn't have enough to deal with. But regardless, Alice led the way to the common room and gave an unnerving smile.

"You may just see a familiar face by the way." She chuckled and entered the room, "Oh boys, I have a present for you…"

As soon as they entered the room, three pairs of eyes snapped to view them. Trixie took them in one at a time, feeling her body grow rigid. They were all boys, one a few years younger than her while the others looked about her age, maybe a year older or so. The youngest looking incredibly pale, so much so that she could have sworn his skin was an icy blue. Instead of eyes, there were just empty black sockets, leaking a thick black liquid that ran down it's cheeks before blending into his hoodie. The second also had black in his eyes, but it was as if they really were his eyes, scarlet pupils focussed on her. He looked a lot like a game character that she couldn't quite put her finger on, dressed like him too but she was taking more notice of the fact that she could practically see right through him as he hovered a few feet off of the floor. And then Trixie saw the third, and she instantly felt the urge to scream and run, yet she was rooted to the spot. She'd recognise that mass of black hair, leathery white skin, and that smile. That scarred and mutilated grin that was permanently carved into his cheeks. It was him… one of the monsters from that night. And there were more of them.

"N-no…" she breathed, "No… no…"

"Well, long time no see."

"Newbie, Ben and Jack; losers, newbie." Alice said curtly, "You already know Jeff, right, familiar with the family if I recall."

Trixie felt her throat tighten, fear burning at her skull. This wasn't real, it could be. This was some sick joke. Her legs felt like they were going to give out as the blood-drenched flashback skimmed across her mind. Her eyes stung as tears threatened to gather, but she couldn't manage it. It was like every part of her being had turned to stone.

"Is that her gimmick or something?" Ben asked sardonically as he chose to plant both feet on the floor and peer closely at the terrified girl, "Standing still and shaking?"

"Oh I get it!" Jeff laughed, slamming his hand onto Trixie's head and ruffling her hair like one would to an animal and making her squeak nervously, "She's a freezer!" Even Trixie had to give him a quizzical look at that one before he chose to elaborate, "What? When people are scared, they either fight or take flight. This rarity just so happens to be a freezer instead." He shrugged, giving her head a heavy nudge as he stepped away.

"You're going to have to get over that one." Ben mused, "We're all fighters here."

"And there's no room for fear either." Alice added.

"So has Slendy filled you in on our line of work?" Jeff asked patronisingly, when he didn't get an answer he snapped his fingers in front of her eyes, making her blink, "I know you can speak, if I remember you're quite the mutterer so out with it."

Not wanting to anger him, Trixie forced her jaws to part, "N-no… I d-don't know."

"So you just woke up here and have no idea why?" Ben smirked as she nodded, "Oh how adorable."

Trixie understood that they were toying with her, cruelly bouncing her between them like she was a mouse and they were the claws of a feline. Alice sniggered, "Now boys, scare her anymore and she may just pass out on us."

"You've changed your tune." Jeff commented.

"Well I can't let you have all the fun."

Trixie looked up at what had just minutes ago been her one guide in this maze or horrors, but had now become of the attractions itself. She instinctively took a step backwards and felt her back press against the wall. Not again, she begged, don't let them get to me again… She noticed that the one with leaking eyes hadn't said anything, but just stared at her morosely.

"Are you going to kill me?" she asked finally, her voice strangely calm as if she was asking them to do it.

Jeff snorted with laughter, "You're right, Ben, fucking adorable."

That didn't answer her question. "Well that's pretty much everyone." Alice grinned crookedly, "Although, Ticci's still out on a job right now. And Shad is… where is he again?"

"Hell if I know." Ben shrugged.

"T-Ticci?" Trixie asked nervously.

Ben coiled a translucent arm over her shoulders, "Oh you'll _love_ him." Trixie wasn't sure if she liked the sound of that. Actually, no, she was certain that she didn't. The spectre glanced over at the open laptop on the corner desk and smirked, "Actually he should be arriving right about… now."

There was a booming creak from behind where the large chipped door burst open. A figure of around their age strode in wearing a green hoddie was what freshly stained with… crimson. A metal mask covered his mouth and his eyes were hidden behind amber-lensed goggles. A damp hatched was being twisted between his gloved fingers and even with the hidden features, it was plain to see that he was pleased with himself. Trixie let out a shaky breath riddled with a shriek at the sight of him. She knew him. She feared him. Just like the grinning madman beside her, he was one of the ones that were there that night.

"New record!" the newcomer announced.

"Loosing style points for the mess though." Ben muttered as he took back to the air, eyeing the soaked patches.

"Details, details…" he presumably pouted. Suddenly, he looked in the direction of the newbie, pausing for a minute before calculating what must have happened, "Speaking of which! Hi again!"

"Newbie, you may not recognize him without that axe," Jeff smirked, "but officially meet Tick-Prick."

"Toby." He corrected, holding out an arm to shake hands with the girl, "Ticci-Toby." Trixie didn't want to move but he insisted, gripping her hand forcefully, she shuddered as she felt the click and crack of his bones beneath his skin as he moved. That, and his gloves were wet with something she didn't want to know the origins of, "Sorry about before." He added passively as if he'd accidently bumped into her, yet there was something in his voice that sounded like regret.

"Great, so now you've met Casper, Emo, Special-Ed and the Cure for Insomnia." Alice said, looking from Ben to Jack, then from Toby and finally Jeff sarcastically.

When Trixie didn't answer and just lowered her eyes, still trembling, Toby tilted his head to get another look at her, "Ah don't feel left out! She'll come up with a name for you t-" Halfway through the word, he froze, eyes widening under his eye-gear. Without warning, his neck gave a violent turn to the side, a sickening crack echoing around them and making Trixie jump back in surprise. A faint giggle escaped the gaps in his mask, his back arching to continue the symphony of popping ligaments and seemingly enjoying it, "Oh that one's been bugging me all night!"

Trixie swallowed anxiously and looked at the others for guidance. At her uneased look, Jeff shrugged passively, "Relax, it's a reflex he gets from time to time."

Feeling that Alice was still the most sane, and human, one here, she looked at her pleadingly, "I don't want to stay here."

"You think I do?" she snapped suddenly.

"Please..." She muttered, "I didn't ask for this!"

Jeff had been listening in and picked up a knife that had been set on the arm of the sofa, for good measure he aimed it and threw it across the room, nodding as it embedded in the opposite wall, "None of us asked for this, kid."

"Well Ben did." Toby shrugged, still trying to get his shoulder to click back into place.

Ben presented his palms defensively, "Hey I'm dead, what else was I going to do with my spare time?"

Dead? Trixie internally cried. The others however, were greatly enjoying making the newbie feel as uncomfortable as possible. Ben had been right, this girl had no idea what was going on and she was terrified… all the more fun to have. Taunting her with the sudden twist in persona, the sadistic humour and offering no explanation, it was all too entertaining. But on the other hand, Alice still had a point. The newbie had gotten so pale that she was close to matching Jack's level of icy paleness and she looked ready to pass out.

"It's been one big day for you newbie." Jeff mocked, "Maybe you'd better go to sleep."

At the poor choice of wording, Trixie tensed and her eyebrows shit upwards in panic, hoping to back away but not finding anyway to go. Alice clapped her hands condescendingly, "Oh very well put, Jeffy-boy, very well put…"

"What? All I said was…" he trailed off in realisation and slumped his shoulders, flashing a scowl at Trixie before glaring at Alice and flipping her off, "Fuck you."

"Oh I plan to later." She retorted, slowly licking her middle finger suggestively before prominently returning the crude gesture he still held at her.

Jeff opened his mouth to retaliate, but thought better of it and instead turned towards Trixie, an irritable twitch under his left eye, "Welcome _home_, newbie. May your first kill be someone in this room and let it be done soon…"

"K-kill?" she strained.

He ignored her and turned around so that his back was to the sofa and collapsed backwards onto it, Toby scratched his head in thought, "But practically everyone's here, including you."

"Well if it does end up being me then at least she's putting me out of my fucking misery!" At yet another of his outbursts, Trixie flinched again. "What's wrong, newbie?" Jeff sneered wryly, emphasising his scarred features, "I don't bite."

"But as you know, he does stab and hack." Alice arched an eyebrow.

"And she slices and shags." He returned, "In that order."

"You'd know all about that, wouldn't you Jeff."

"Don't flatter yourself."

"Awe, don't get all worked up Jeffy."

"Fuck you."

"Someone beat you to it."

"Ben, you're standards are slipping."

"Hey, don't drag _me_ into this!"

Trixie watched the argument bounce back and fore with growing unease, it was surely only amount of time before one of them lashed out. Please, she begged mentally, not another killing, please… She flinched as she heard a sickening cracking of bones beside her and a heavy arm drop onto her shoulders. Coming face to face with the pale hooded boy with the goggles and mask, she let out a groan of panic. He however, grinned widely at her behind the metal and tugged her to his side in a failing attempt at comfort.

"They're not all scary all the time." He insisted, "Between us, Jeff looks better like this. Even when he's pissed off he's got a smile!"

Trixie certainly didn't think he looked in anyway smile-worthy. Scars or not. The monsters that had haunted her mind for over a month, the ones that framed her and cornered her… that stole her family… They were here, and there were more of them. She couldn't leave. She didn't know where she was. Hell, Alice called it. If anything, this place must surely be just that. Her own personal hell…

**A/N:**

**Oh you trolls… So she's met most of the group but as no idea what the hell is going on. Poor thing, she's scared to death. This is… going to be interesting… Next chapter will be up soon, don't forget to review XD**


	5. Match the Game or Avoid it

**A/N:**

**Thanks for all the amazing reviews, they mean so much XD I'm so glad you like this, thank you!**

**And thanks to 'Aingirl' for making some awesome fanart for this fic on DeviantArt, check it out, she's awesome, thank you! XD**

The night was drawing in and most of the group were gathered in the common room and gathered around a table for a game of Rummy. Messing with the newbie had been fun and all, but they expected more of a reaction. If she was a fighter, then it would have been interesting to see how she would have tried and most likely failed to throttle Jeff and Toby. Or even if she was more of a flight person, a good scream and scramble for escape might have been an interesting watch.

But no. She froze, whimpered and looked like she was wishing to pass out or get killed so she wouldn't have to live through the fear anymore. Now that had been entertaining, it gave them more of a chance to mess with her. But little reaction had made it turn slow all too soon. So Alice, seeing that her job had been done, led the newbie back to her room and donated a tatted pair of night clothes before leaving and rejoining the others and dealt a number of seven cards between the five of them.

"So place your bets, lady and gents… and Toby;" Ben smirked, taking his turn, "How long do you think newbie's gonna last?"

"A week." Jeff answered instantly.

Alice rolled her eyes, "That's optimistic."

"Well I would say three days but it's going to take her a while to figure out how to move again first." He reasoned, "Damn freezer reflex."

"But it's adorable," Alice cooed mockingly, "Poor little sap."

The game continued victorless for a few minutes, the conversation running dry. Jack rarely taking a chance to keep a card he picked up before quickly returning it. Jeff however was never satisfied and constantly exchanging his set just to alter it again. With Ben observing the others craftily and Alice focussed solely on her own cards; that just left Toby to crack his shoulders every now and again to change his course when and if he felt like it because at the end of the day, it was just a game and didn't need much concentration.

"Why hasn't Slendy told her what we do?" he asked, shifting his deck into order.

Jack shook his head and took his turn, "I wouldn't want to know, she gets some bliss in ignorance."

A quizzical twitch sparked behind the mask, "I'd just get confused."

The spectre peered over the top of his deck, "Sounds about right…"

"Slender's on a job;" Alice explained, picking up another card before discarding another, "I'm not wasting my time doing someone else's dirty work, I do that enough already."

"And the rest of us do fuck all evidently…"

"Speaking of which," Jeff added, "I take it Shad hasn't shown himself yet?"

"Nope." Toby answered, "You don't think he's tried to get loose do you?"

"We can't get loose." Jack sighed, "Can't, shan't and won't."

"Such a happy, bastard…" Ben muttered sardonically, rearranging his cards, "Nah he wouldn't run for it, him and Slendy go way back. And it's not like it's the first time he's vanished like this. And what a treat he'll get when he hears about the newbie."

Alice scanned the back of her opponents cards before playing her turn, "He'll be back tomorrow most likely before Slender gets back in the night to fill her in."

Jeff slyly swapped a card, "Is that what he does to the girl recruits, Alice?"

"You're disgusting."

"I'm a winner." He quipped, laying down his set smugly, "If this was a job, I'd get to live another day; you're loosing your touch."

"On the contrary," she returned, tapping one of the cards he'd set down, "You can't have a heart in a strip of clubs." And to prove her point, she exposed her own cards to reveal a straight set, "You loose again, Jeffy-boy."

Ben quirked an eyebrow, "Does it count as winning if you've memorised each card front and back?"

"Don't gamble with your life if you're not destined to win."

* * *

Trixie sat alone in the darkness of the bare bedroom. After those… _monsters_, had toyed with her she'd been led back here for what she assumed was sleep. But how could she when she was destined to be so close to them? Every shadow was a threat. Every noise, a terror waiting to reach her. Fearing all that she couldn't see, she had pulled the chair from under the desk and placed it in the corner closest to the door, sitting with her knees pulled under her chin and hazel eyes wide. Anything could be lurking under that bed, or one of them could walk in at any second. She didn't dare move. So she figured that staying watch, perfectly still, seemed like the right thing to do.

But she knew that there was some truth in what one of them had told her earlier. The one that looked like a game character, Link she recalled, but could not remember the spectres name. She didn't want to know their names. But the minute they calculated that she froze under pressure, especially when she was scared, he had told her that she'd 'have to get over that'. It was never something she'd considered. Even when Ollie's life was draining before her, it never came to mind, the guilt took up too much room. Now here she was, trapped in the same building as those responsible, and the words sunk in. She did have to get over it. Now.

Eyes fixed on the gloom beneath her bed, Trixie forced herself out of the seat and felt along the wall until she found the door-handle and blinked in surprise at it turned without protest. The harsh lights from the corridor made her wince. Why wasn't the door locked? This was a kidnap, right? Why were they leaving the door unlocked? The unease that this was a trick made her hesitate, but the choice between staying in the dark or possibly getting out pushed her forward. Peering into the hallway, she found it empty. Fear still pulsating through her, Trixie found her limps stiff and heavy, but shakily she wondered aimlessly around corners and down endless paths of isolation. Tears spilled down her cheeks with every thud of her heart. This place was a labyrinth, and anything could be lurking around the next corner. Any door she dare open may contain a nightmare. She was forced to continue wondering. Even outside the confines of the bedroom, she was still trapped.

"You are aware that you've travelled in a circle?"

Trixie clenched the muscles of her throat involuntarily to stop a shriek at the voice. She flinched and pressed herself against the wall, searching for the intruder. Her eyes settled on a figure a safe distance from her; a pale face hooded in a cloak that trailed to the floor, whispy and dark as if made from the shadows themselves. Its face was tinted with amusement at an eyebrow arched.

"No, I suppose you didn't. Did you have a destination in mind? Because I'm afraid I have to tell you that your options are limited." It drifted a little closer, "Are you going to tell me you name or shall you remain as Newbie?"

She didn't answer, continuing to stare anxiously pasted. They took her family, they took her sanity and they took her freedom, not that she had much to start with. But they sure as hell would not take her name.

"As you wish, newbie, but I'll warn you when you're given a title like the Observer or Shadow Lurker, having it reduced to something as demeaning as Shad, it wears thin all too soon."

"Wh-what are you?"

Shad rolled his eyes. It figures that he leaves for the shortest of time before things started going wrong. And what could be more wrong than a newbie? And so he'd returned from his outing, his weekly 'visit' as it were, and gone in watch of the girl. He'd learned from mere observation that toying with the girl gained nothing. And as someone who didn't believe in wasting words for the sake of it, Shad figured that being blunt and expectant was an easier way to go. Frankly he cared nothing for this newbie, what outcome fate had for her was of little value to him. But nevertheless, why waste an opportunity to have some interaction that wasn't based on idiocy?

"I've just told you what and who I am. And you've chosen your namesake, newbie. Now, judging by your manner, you are clueless to the reasoning behind being here. Did you not ask for this?"

Trixie straightened slightly and managed to let out a mutter, "I didn't ask for anything."

"Are you sure about that? Think back, I'm sure you asked for plenty."

She obeyed. That creature, taunting her endlessly, whispering to her. She'd wanted it to end. She'd been more than willing to give up and let the thing kill her. _Please, take this away. Make it stop…_ Trixie thought she was going to be sick, "No, no, I didn't ask for this."

"Few do, but people are never specific enough, as you know."

"So… what exactly is this?" she dared, "If I'm here to die then just get it over with."

"You're not here to die." He replied curtly.

"To kill?" she asked, barely a whisper.

"Possibly; but not yet. Now who went and told you that?"

A chill ran down her spine, "One of… them. The one with the…" She swallowed the bile that rose at her throat and used her fingers to trace a smile on her cheeks.

Shad smirked, "Let me assure you on something when it comes to Jeff. When it comes to most of the others actually; they're idiots. Match them at their games or avoid them completely."

Trixie wrapped her arms around herself and forced herself to look at him directly, "Why are you telling me this?"

A shrug. "Honestly? I'm interested to see what the newbie does the information."

"Is that why I'm here? Entertainment? I'm not a… a killer. I-I'm not like you. Why won't anyone just tell me?"

Anger, Shad concluded, anger and fear, such an interesting mixture. But again, he didn't feel the need to waste words where they're not needed, "You'll find out tomorrow night when Slender returns."

"Slender?" she muttered, not feeling any less fearful upon hearing that name the second time around.

"Tomorrow. Now I'd sleep if I were you." A wry sneer appeared on his illuminated face as he opened a door, proving his previous statement that she had in fact walked a full circle and was back where she started, "There are worse things that wonder these halls than just a few murderers."

Shad watched as the confliction spread over the newbie's face. The desire to run, the fear of disagreeing and the unwillingness to comply. So, newbie, what will you do? Just how willing to give up are you? Slowly her frame loosened, shoulders slumping and a shuddering sigh escaping her.

"Okay…"

Very willing. Very willing indeed.

* * *

Slender straightened out the folds of his suit and nodded. It had been a long day, but the job was done. This one had been on the radar a while now. But a crime that involves children does not quite call for death. Instead it requires torment and suffering… being reminded and forced to relive it over and over. So naturally, it had been something that involved some effort. However, now he had returned, and things were still incomplete. There was still the matter of the new arrival. She had yet to be informed. And knowing his charges, they would not have done so.

There was no sense in calling to her, she was not yet branded and wouldn't be able to hear him. He knew this. And from the disruption he could sense in the air, sending someone to fetch her would not be the wisest move. And so, he had no choice but to do what he would with a victim. He enticed her. She would come to him.

* * *

Trixie had forced herself into the shower, rubbing away the scabs that remained from the hospital restraints and putting on another set of clothes that Alice had resentfully left for her. She shrugged on a deep purple jacket, the only thing from home the hospital had let her keep, breathing in the smell. Her own smell, of how she used to be…

However she never left her room. Her stomach ached from hunger, mind electric with uncertainty, but she daren't try and leave again. Shad's words had sunk in cruelly, what other horrors lay out there were unknown to her. And she didn't want to find out. Yet it also became clear that it was going to be inevitable to stay clear of the ones she'd already faced. Every time she saw them, all she saw was her family minutes before the noises and the… and the blood.

She looked in the mirror, thoughts colliding behind her eyes. They're not going to kill you, you know that, she told herself; so they're making you live with what they did, you've seen what they can do and they won't do it to you, so don't fear them. No that's impossible, she figured, I'll always fear them. But that doesn't mean I can't hide my fear with something else. I hate them. I hate…

Suddenly, it was as if someone had forced her to black out while remaining perfectly conscious. She could still see everything, but everything including her thoughts was silent. All but a low humming, wrapping around her comfortingly and pleading to her to follow. Numb and confused, she couldn't help but listen. Treading softly across the room and out into the hallway. The noise coiled around her body, pulling her along. An absentminded smile tweaked at her mouth. It was taking her home, it was saving her. Surely she'd be free. Home…

It forced her around a corner, seeping through the woodwork of a door to the left. Trixie touched the door and it seemed to open at will. When she entered, she found that she was once again in the common-room from the previous night. The beautiful melody begging her to pass on through, towards a second exit in the far right. However, the notes were instantly shattered as her eyes settled on what, or rather who, stood in her way. Her back pressed against the wall, her instinct to freeze in fear battling with the inner-scolding to stand strong. _They_ were here…

Toby sat cross-legged on the floor in front of the sofa set centre of the room, back to the door and occupied by Ben and Jeff. Each had a games controller in hand and were furiously challenging one another at what looked like Black-Ops. They game? she wondered, remembering challenging a friend or two in the past and failing She couldn't picture killers and whatever the others were to just sit around and play like average people. It seemed so… normal. Hell apart from their appearances, they could have been mistaken for everyday people on a weekend. Trixie didn't know if this eased her in the knowledge that they did have moments of relatable behaviour, or if it scared her all the more knowing that they could alter between the monstrous and ordinary so easily.

She stood, body pressed against the wall in hopes of not being seen; she listened to their half-started conversation. Jeff, she recalled with dismay, was apparently making fun of the slightly pixellated spectre, not taking his altered eyes off of the screen, "It's a fucking _Zelda_ game Ben; hell it's the same game you haunted for a while, how can you possibly be that shit at it?"

"I didn't _haunt_ the game, I just hacked it up a bit and got caught, give me a break!"

"Did someone have a temper tantrum when they couldn't beat the mask?" Toby asked mockingly.

"Hey that thing is freaky!"

"It looks like a tripped out crab, how is that freaky?" Jeff demanded.

"You try walking around that game and having that jump out at you!" Ben snapped, thumbs stabbing at the buttons, "At least I'm not the one who stabbed the screen because they got jump-scared at the thing in Amnesia!"

"There was a wasp bugging me by the screen and you know it! I've seen things in Kingdom Hearts more fucked up than that!"

"Hey, now that's a scary game to play!" Toby insisted.

The two glanced at him sceptically. Ben scowled in disbelief, "It's Disney and Final Fantasy in one, how is it scary?"

"They've got shadow creatures coming from the walls trying to take a vital organ!"

"You _live_ with guys who do that!" Jeff groaned, "Jack and Shad? Remember them?"

Toby scoffed, "I know but that's real life. Real life isn't scary unless you let it scare you."

Trixie tilted her head a little at that. Real life isn't scary unless you let it scare you? Why was that something she found herself agreeing with? It was nonsense, fear was involuntary! Wasn't it?

Toby nodded matter-of-factly while his company exchanged a disgruntled glance. Jeff was going to make a comment of how much his friends apparent retarded-ness was making him ready to get 'in character', but thought against it as the guy had no pain reflex. So instead, he did the next best thing and made his gaming character toss a hand grenade as its opponent instead, ending the game and yet declaring Ben the winner due to him having the favourable stats.

They were about to re-set the game for a rematch, when Ben caught sight of Trixie's observing form in the reflection of the blank screen. Over the course of her listening in, a half smile of amusement had started to quirk in the corner of her mouth, yet the cautious unease remained in her hazel eyes. Even more so now that she was aware that she'd been sighted. Now she was stone-faced in panic, looking ready to run but fixed in place. Ben gave a wry smirk and elbowed his friend beside him, while nudging the other with his foot.

"It appears we have company, gents!" he announced, leaning backwards to flash her an upside-down sly sneer.

She flinched as the others snapped their heads around (in Toby's case quite literally) to look at her. Jeff beckoned her with a single finger, "It's not polite to eavesdrop you know, newbie."

Trixie stayed put and tried to force some sense of dignity and anger towards them, "I-I wasn't I was just-" She was cut off by something flying towards her, out of instinct she caught it and found it to be a games controller. Giving them a timid look, it was clear to see that they were enjoying making her feel as uncomfortable as possible. She was a new toy. Again.

Ben sniggered at her catch, "Hey look at that, she moves and talks at the same time."

"And does the newbie play?" Jeff mused.

Feeling it wasn't worth her while not to answer, she shrugged, her voice barely above a whisper, and desperate to return to that melody that was calling her. She needed it, it needed her… "I've played."

"Close enough!" Toby grinned from behind his mask, patting the space on the floor next to him and giving an involuntarily violent snap in his wrist.

They noted her hesitation, Ben leaned further backwards and his upside-down, slightly translucent, smirk widened, "We don't bite, newbie. Even we have standards."

She looked at the exit, so close, the noise still calling, "But…"

Jeff glared at her warningly, "That night was a fuck-up, newbie, now you either get over it and quite the guilt-trip you're trying so hard to give or… Actually no, that's you're only choice here."

A fuck-up? Guilt-trip? What the hell was that meant to mean? It wouldn't make a difference, they did what they did and there was no going back, but she had to ask, "Y-you didn't mean to-"

"I'm bored!" Ben moaned, "Play or be played, what're you going to do, newbie?"

Figuring that they weren't going to let this go, and that it was better to please them and obey for now. There was more to this, she knew it, but no one was telling her. And little by little, they were slipping up. She could feel it. And in a sudden surge of rage, she made a decision. Why not humour them for now, wait out the paralysed in panic coat she wore to her advantage and wait for them to give in? She'd get her answers. Maybe even get back at them in some way. She wasn't a killer, she doubted she ever would be. But something needed to be done. She'd match them.

Play or be played; Real life isn't scary unless you let it scare you; Match their games or avoid completely. She'd wait; it wasn't like she had anything to live for now. Dead inside. She'd wait. Answers would come. And with that in mind, Trixie shuffled forward until she was next to Toby and lightly sat down. The feeling of deformed, dead, and shielded eyes staring at you at the same time was not a comforting one. Her chin rested on her knees and her hands clutched so tightly to the controller that it creaked in protest. Choice made, no going back.

"You're with Ticci, he needs all the help he can get…" Jeff informed her, loading up the next game, "Ready newbie?"

She nodded, hating the label but standing by her grounds of not letting them get her real name, "Sure…"

_Am I interrupting…? _

The boys straightened in their seats at the intense echo inside their heads. They turned, mixtures of confusion and irritation in their eyes. They didn't care to remember that the newbie wouldn't hear this, and let her look at them uneasily. But she soon joined them in their view. Faceless… Tall… Silent… What was that thing?

"So Slendy?" Ben asked casually as he indicated to Trixie, "How much are we getting paid for babysitting?"

**A/N:**

**So now Trixie's growing a back-bone and figuring that if she lets them think she's weak, then she can find out what's going on and maybe avenge her family… Good luck with that, kid. XD And if you guys have any favourite Creepypasta stories that aren't mentioned, I can reference them for you if you drop me a PM XD Don't forget to review!**


	6. Becoming the Enemy

**A/N:**

**So Slender has made an appearance, and Trixie has figured that she's already seen all she can fear, so why bother being scared anymore? Just where will this mindset take her? Onward readers! XD**

Slender looked down at the girl, having led her to the place he was intending when he sent out the enticement. The Informer. He understood that she would not be able to hear his mental projections as she had not been branded yet. So he'd enlisted in the help of Jack to offer some translation. Of course it would make things slightly easier if he were to brand her right away; but it's not that simple. There were rules to this and if there was one thing that Slender took pride in was his ability to stick to them, even if few of the others did.

And like there had been a rule to wait until the sufferer of the Sickness asks what they fear for help, there is also the rule that the sufferer must also willingly offer themselves to be claimed as a Proxy. It was a sign of switching one life for another, removing one sickness and replacing it with a disease. Giving up, only to take again. To refuse was to let the remaining traces of sickness seep through the blood once more, ultimately ending in the festering of the mind. He'd seen it before, and he could hardly call it appealing. But neither was the alternative.

_I apologise for not approaching you sooner…_

Jack looked from his mentor through the black emptiness of his eyes to the newbie and translated. Trixie furrowed her brow. He was sorry for making her wait? The urge to freeze in panic was growing strong, but Trixie resisted. Of all she'd seen, this creatures was not the worse. There were no black and scarlet eyes to leer at her, no sadistic grin to mock her, he looked empty. Slendy, the ghost-boy had called him. Slendy? Slender? Was this the one they all kept talking about? Well who else would it be, she scolded herself. And that meant that he had answers. She was scared, sure. But she didn't care anymore. The point of caring enough to show her fear had died.

_Has anyone taken the time to explain your current situation…?_

"Nobody's told you why you're here, have they?" Jack paraphrased, solemnly.

She shook her head, unsure for a moment who she should address, finally choosing to glare at the floor between them instead, bitterness on her tongue "No. No one could be bothered."

_Then allow me to fix that…_

"He's going to explain; I wouldn't want him to, not again." Jack admitted.

"I'm listening."

Slender repeated the script that he had much practice with over the years. It was best to be direct and blunt in this explanation. There was no room for toying with sympathy, although he did feel regret that this entire event could have been avoided, but he had felt no different for any of the previous either. So he pressed on. In the most informative and direct way, Slender continued, pausing between sentences

_For centuries, demons such as I have monitored this world, feeding from the sins and fears of the inhabitants… Although, in time we came to realise that those we left behind in witness to our hunting started to suffer in more ways than one… They became infected with the Sickness, their mind festering in mutated insanity until they decay, and yet forever frozen in time… We discovered the way to avoid this outcome was to take in the infected, branding them with the life fluid of a demon; us… Those branded are our Proxy's, tracking our prey and often carrying out the kill for us… As time moved on, it seemed that there were more crimes available and all the more committing them... So we had to try and create a balance… We demons separated, taking our Proxy's with us and continuing the work… And now it seems you have found yourself in the midst of this work…_

"…and now you're like the rest of us." Jack finished, sighing slightly.

Trixie felt her head spin a little from the sudden flood of information, "So because I saw a…" she couldn't say 'kill' when thinking of her family, it was too heartless, "…a _job_; that meant that I was infected?"

Jack waited for Slender to finish transmitting before talking, "Pretty much."

Piecing together what that shadowy thing, Shad, had said, she shivered a little, "And I'm here because I apparently asked for help, right?"

_In some sense of the term… As you've seen, Widemouth isn't the most articulate with words…_

"More or less." Jack passed on, adjusting his hood.

Something inside of Trixie snapped, eyes narrowing up at the looming figure, "That's not fair, you can't just hold people against their will to do your dirty work!"

Dirty work, Slender mused to himself, Alice has clearly had an effect on this one. _I'll agree it's unfair, however the choice will now be yours…_

"You get a choice this time." Jack shrugged, "Personally I don't think it's a choice, but he says it is…"

_It is a choice, yours to make… It seems that without branding the Sickness is free to resettle, insanity shall return and your end shall either be your own doing, or someone else's… But to be branded means that you'll be a Proxy…_

Trixie waited for Jack to finish passing the message before wrapping her arms around herself, she looked at Jack sympathetically, "You're right, it's not much of a choice at all. I'm not a killer, I won't do it." She added to Slender.

"He said you might not have to. Some of us are more like trackers." He dabbed at his leaking eye sockets, "I'm not that lucky."

"Well it's not like my luck has been anything to go by." Trixie muttered, looking at Slender helplessly, "Please, I don't want to be part of this. Haven't you already done enough?"

_I never ordered that… _Slender assured, retelling that night's events.

She listened to Jack repeating, a painful tug at her heart made her shrink into herself. They were never meant to die that night. A fuck up, Jeff had called it. No, she ordered herself, you don't cry again while you're here. But it hurt so much. One mistake, three lives lost; and hers in ruins. If they'd paid more attention then she'd be home right now with her brother and-

"You said you were a demon, right?" she asked Slender. When he nodded, anger sizzled in her stomach once more, "Then why don't you just go back to hell?"

Slender didn't seem to react, it wasn't the first time he'd been asked that and it wouldn't be the last. He could sense the change within her. Fear was still so close to the surface, but it seemed that in her growing accustomed to it, it had translated into rage. He'd seen it before, not unlike the way Jack's merged into depression. It was a good sign in these parts.

_Your choice…?_

"Basically, do you want to go insane, or stick around here and watch everyone else on the outside go insane?" Jack asked.

What a question. But it needed to be answered. And frankly she didn't know where to start. Killing or not, she wasn't sure she'd be able to stay here. Living under the same roof as them, in constant fear of the shadows that lurked wherever she turned, the creatures that leered at her from the gloom. And having to follow their orders made her want to vomit. She felt like she'd be betraying her family, turning her back on their memory… But if she said no, what was left for her? Everyone out there already thought of her a murderer, insane and dangerous to all. There was nowhere for her, no one to turn to. If there was one thing she feared more than anything, it was being truly alone. Why else would she be so willing to give up her sanity when she was in the hospital? Refusing her endeavour of escape the night before just to hide again? Even not long ago when she had so willingly joined in with the others just in hopes of getting answers. She didn't want to be alone again. But the consequences were too much to bare.

Slender watched the confliction in the girls face. It was nothing new, he'd seen it with every Proxy that had walked through those doors for the first time. There were those who feared insanity and jumped at the chance for salvation, there were those who gave it one last chance at escape, and then there were those who refused only to gave in once they felt the madness fester once more. Which would she be?

Trixie wasn't exactly sure how this would work out, and she was without a doubt not a murderer. If she said no, then she truly had nothing. If she said yes, then who's to say she couldn't get out again with her mind in check? And as for her family, she wasn't letting that go. Those monsters wouldn't be allowed to either. She had her answer.

She held out her arms, hating herself for the tear that escaped her control. "Go ahead…"

Suddenly, the looming figure released something from its back, thick and black like the shadows, but solid like a cobra. It looped around her left shoulder, squeezing it so much that she could feel her blood burning beneath the skin. The heat rose to the surface, making her shriek in pain. She looked up at the faceless creature and silently begged for it to stop. But it continued, clenching tighter, burning erratically. She could feel her skin blistering. A sob escaped her, teeth clenched in the efforts not to scream. After what seemed like an eternity, he released her. Trixie stumbled and gasped in recovery, feeling a shiver sense of fear for the figure. More so then previously.

_It's done… _

A smooth, distinguished voice echoed inside her head, making her flinch. It couldn't have come from that thing, it didn't have a mouth, "What?"

_It's done…_

"J-just like that?"

_Although the background may be complex, that doesn't mean the focus must be…_

"Oh."

_If I may, you're not as fearful as I've heard…_

That was true, she figured, "I guess I've seen all that I can be scared of now, I'm just going to have to get over it."

_At least you've realised that sooner rather than later…_

The suited figure was gone in the time she had to blink. Her body jolted as she felt a hand on her shoulder. Turning, she faced the empty sockets of Jack. He tilted his head, "When he brands you, you can hear the thoughts he projects."

Trixie looked down to where his hand was hovering and held back the urge to panic. There, where the creature had gripped her so tightly, there was now a dense black pattern. A circle, with a messy 'X' through the centre of it. Branded. Marked for life. Jack tugged at the neck of his hoodie to reveal an identical insignia at his prominent collar-bone. That one must have hurt, she thought.

"You're one of us now." Jack adjusted himself morbidly, and turned away towards the door, "Maybe _you'll_ find some good in that."

"Hey, uh, how did you get pulled into this?" she asked suddenly.

He paused for a moment, shrugging a little, "Can't remember."

"Do you remember why you chose to stay here?"

"Yes."

Getting impatient, but fully understanding that it was a delicate subject, Trixie nodded, "What was it?"

"I got in so that I could get out. But there's no place for us out there, you see it too don't you? Inside is the fear, but inside is the safety."

She swallowed nervously. That reasoning sounded too familiar. And the result was standing right in front of her. She took her jacket from around her waist and pulled in on, covering the mark that still ached tenderly, "I can't go back now, can I?"

"No. Sorry, but don't worry," Jack offered, fresh blackness falling down his face as he left the room, "You might not turn out _exactly_ like me…"

* * *

Trixie wondered aimlessly about the hallways, not going anywhere in particular, but deep in thought. Now she was one of them, and although she hated it, it led her that much closer to getting what she wanted. A chance to make them sorry they ever did this to her...

But her thoughts were soon halted. She could hear something tapping along the corridor just around the corner. It sounded more light footed than she was used around here. And more rhythmic like there were more than two legs involved. The light panting she could hear reminded her of an animal. By this point, she was more curious that scared. So very carefully, she stepped forward and peered around the wall. Like she'd presumed, or maybe hoped, a dog could be seen making its way up the hallway. But the very sight of the thing brought a lump to her throat. The raw, burnt-like red of the skin o show from matted and sparse black tufts of fur. Scarlet swarmed it's pupils, flecks of amber lined here and there. But it's mouth was what drew her attention. It was so human, beaming with malice. The creature hadn't seen Trixie yet, but that didn't stop it from sniffing the air with a non-existent snout as her scent drifted towards her. The creature paused, its grin turning to a lust of hunger.

Trixie took in a gasp of panic and was about to try and back away, but what interrupted by a firm grip clamping over her mouth and yanking her backwards. The free hand of the stranger looped around her waits to pin her arms to her side and drag her away with more force. Straining her eyes, she managed to catch sight of her attacker. Her heart sank as she instantly recognised the amber goggles and prison-bar mask; Toby. He pulled her back so that his back was against the wall, holding her close in front of him. Beside him, Trixie's other nightmare leaned against the wall. His pale skin and disfigured smile curled into a warning threat.

"Not a word till I say so." Jeff ordered, "The pair of you."

Once again paralysed with the fear of uncertainty, Trixie remained obediently still. As Toby held her in place, Jeff strolled around the corner and out of sight. He clapped his hands to get the attention of the canine who tilted it's head quizzically. Jeff stopped down and tousled the animals head.

"Hey Smile, how's our boy, what're you doing in here?" he asked, "Wanna know something?" In reply, the dog continued to look at him sceptically which Jeff took as a yes, "I hear Jack's just been out on a job… you know what that means…" Smile widened his eyes a little, canine instincts kicking in. Jeff smirked at the distraction, "Fresh liver just for you. Now get! To the kitchen! Sick 'em boy!"

At the mention of food, fresh food at that, Smile literally turned tail and padded hungrily back down the hall and out of sight. Jeff muttered a 'stupid mutt' under his breath and straightened up. When he returned to the captive and the fellow captor, he gave a curt nod which gave Toby the signal to release her. Toby however, didn't move, tightening his grip a little and a vacant expression spreading under his headgear.

"I can feel her heartbeat…" he muttered, "It's ticking…"

Jeff narrowed his eyes, picking up the signs, "Toby, what have we talked about?"

"I like heartbeats…" he sighed, feeling his outdoor urges sinking in slowly.

"Toby, drop it!" Jeff ordered, giving the boy a sharp slap on the side of the head.

He jolted, letting go and putting a hand over his own heart for a moment, the traces of darkness vanishing. Toby blinked, looking up at the irritable look belong to Jeff, and the uncertain observation of the newbie. He grinned, instantly forgetting the past notions and waving, "Hi there!"

"Wh-what was that?" Trixie asked, voice barely a whisper.

"Smile." Toby shrugged, thinking that she was referring to the creature of moments gone, "He's great when he gets to know you, doesn't like strangers though."

"Oh no he loves strangers; so many different flavours…" Jeff scoffed, giving Trixie a sly leer in hopes of moving things along, "And if you're not a branded Proxy, he's got no signal to stop himself and you're basically fast-food."

"Well in your case frozen-food."

Trixie hunched her shoulders as anger sizzled again, "You don't scare me."

With a sickening crack of his wrist, Toby thumbed over his shoulder, "I can call him back if you want?"

The hazel in her eyes drowned the pupils at the sudden offer, "Huh?"

Jeff gave a smug look of triumph, "Well there ya go."

Trixie was so confused. They were killers, right? Why didn't they just let her stay where she was and give the dog a free meal? It wouldn't change their lives if she lived or died and frankly it didn't make much difference to her either. She understood that they were most likely in enough trouble for pulling her into this world without them letting something else rip her out of it. They were just trying to save their own skins more than anything. She knew that, and the hatred of their selfishness burned deep. And besides, now she was one of them, she could end them.

"Actually," she said with sudden force, pulling at her jacket to reveal the newly branded skin of her shoulder, "why don't you call it back and lets see what happens?"

Instead of the look of surprise that she was expecting, Jeff sniggered and ruffled her hair roughly, "Awe, newbie's trying to act tough. Not sure if it's adorable or about damn time."

"About time." Toby agreed, peering at the mark, "You made a good choice, I think."

"There is no choice." Jeff rolled his eyes, "Get used to that one newbie."

Trixie had lost all cares by this point, she'd seen the worst, why not challenge the rest? She turned away and to walk off, muttering an insult under her breath. But Toby had misheard it as a 'thanks' and dropped his arm heavily on her shoulders, not noticing the rough-handed gesture caused more unease than comfort, "No problem, newbie, it's the least we could do!"

"We don't have to do fuck all."

"I know we don't _have_ to."

Sensing another argument, Trixie ducked out of her captors grip and tried walking away, the confusion at their intention clouding her mind. _It's the least we could do_, did he mean that? It meant nothing to her, it didn't change anything. But why help her, why say that? She just wanted to go back to her room, wishing she'd never left in the first place. However, she was harshly stopped as something grabbed the hood of her jacket, holding her in place momentarily before tugging her along backwards.

"No hiding forever, newbie, you got to eat at some point." Jeff stated, trailing her behind him as he and Toby headed along the corridor.

"Oh yeah, you've only ever seen the common room, Informer and your room." Toby added, "Kitchen's this way."

Trixie tried to detach herself from the grasp, "Didn't you send that dog-thing to the kitchen?"

Jeff turned his head to give her a dark smirk, "I guess I did. Oops…"

**A/N:**

**If you're wondering what was up with Toby's little spaced out moment with the heartbeat, it's all part of his backstory provided by his owner 'Fatal-Impurity on DeviantArt (previously Deathly-Hallows). So now Trixie is a proxy, and what else is in store for her? And the others come to think if it… XD**


	7. First Job

**A/N:**

**Sorry for the long wait guys, the workload has really been piling up lately. I hope this chapter makes up for it! XD **

It had been a little over a week since Trixie's branding, and Ben had picked up on something. He noticed everything so that didn't count for much. Not as much as Shad did irritatingly enough, but all the same, Ben noticed that the newbie had fixed herself into a routine. She would leave her room early, trying her best to avoid contact with anyone or thing that may be around, and headed to the kitchen to salvage the most minimal of food before retreating back to her bedroom. And that was that. Until the gloom drew in, of course, when the last of the doors closed for the night. It was then, the she would emerge again, back to the kitchen for another insignificant meal before salvaging sleep until the next endeavour. And that wasn't the only thing he'd noticed. He'd also taken notice of the newfound force in her steps. Although creeping around, she was showing fear no longer. Who needed fear when you no longer cared for your life?

At the start of the second week, Ben deliberately waited in the kitchen one morning. He say at the dining table with his laptop propped in front of him and a stack of gaming cartridges to the side. In truth he wasn't sure when the newbie was going to show up, he why not finish some work while waiting? Finally, as the last shimmers of gloom strayed in the shadows, Trixie trod lightly over the floorboards towards the fridge, searching the contents for something to put her hunger to ease and not noticing the pale light from the computer behind her. Ben smirked and drifted out from his hiding place to hover at her shoulder and cleared his throat. Trixie span on her heel, smacking her arm into the fridge door from the shock. Upon seeing her observer, her eyes narrowed, hand rubbing her now sore shoulder.

"What'd you want?" she asked.

He raised his palms defensively, "Just wishing the newbie a good morning is all."

Annoyed at herself for getting caught, Trixie half turned away to pour herself some juice, keeping an eye on him cautiously, "You're up early."

"I'm still up. You know the 'I'll sleep when I'm dead' saying?" he asked, using his fingers for air quotes as he sat back into a chair at the dining table against the wall.

"I'm aware of it."

"A load of crap." He nodded matter-of-factly.

"You don't say."

He quirked an eyebrow, "Well, look who's coming out of her shell."

"I might as well." Trixie shrugged, "I figured I'm either going to get killed when Slender picks me for a job or I'm not going to get picked at all and end up going mad being stuck in here."

Sarcasm etched his tone, "And fear can be snubbed out that easily, eh?"

"No, but with practice no one can tell if it's there or not."

"Oh really." Ben sniggered, figuring he'd humour the newbie and pretend he believed her, "If you say so, newbie."

Trixie watched as he returned his attention to the computer, tapping away at the keys and blackened eyes fixed in concentration. It had taken a while but finally she'd placed where she recognised him from. He looked like Link from the Zelda games; same hair, clothes, apart from the eyes it was almost a perfect match. With the image of gaming in mind, she noticed that he was on some sort of photo-shop program, altering the eyes of a picture of Tails from a Sonic the Hedgehog game. It seems that black and red was a recurring theme here.

"What're you doing?"

"My job." He replied, not looking up from the screen, "I've gotta earn my keep some how."

Trixie scanned the long list of game titles, cartridges and disks. Pokémon, Mario, Zelda, Sonic; it went on and on in various abbreviations and versions. But none were originals. All were oddities that she'd never heard of. And that's when it hit her, they were all hacked.

"You made all of these?" she asked.

"Yep." He answered simply, but seeing that she still looked confused he chose to elaborate, "I play through the games and hack them as I go, then send them off to whoever and the rest is up to Slendy who gets to go out and finish the job."

"Why games?"

"Because people will always go back to them. And they give the Sickness a chance to do its job. If the Sickness sticks, then we've got a new job, if it fades, then we move on."

Deliberate Sickness and Accidental; Trixie remembered. From her perspective both her unfair. "Even My Little Pony?" she asked, peering at the label marked MLP: Luna Games.

"You would be surprised how popular that little gem is." He winked.

She shifted, unsettled that she found that comment a little amusing, "When you say play _through_ a game, do y-"

"I do." He clarified, pushing the flat of his hand against the computer screen so that the pixels swallowed his arm up to his elbow. Removing it and returning to his work, Ben arched an eyebrow, "Do you dare try one?"

"No thank you." She mumbled, taking an instinctive step backwards.

"Relax, they're not dangerous. Not to us anyway." He shrugged, "We've already got the Sickness, there's no sense in hunting each other, right?"

"Sometimes it sounds like you'd like to." She said, folding her arms around herself.

"An after-life without Shad… now there's the dream." He sighed.

Trixie wasn't sure how to take that, just like she was still unsure of his ability to melt into pixels at will, "You're really dead, a ghost?"

"As opposed to a _living_ ghost? Yes, dead and with an impressive body-count of one including mine which wasn't even my fault." He smirked, wryly, "Look, newbie, good for you for opening up a little, but what's with all the questions?"

"I guess you're just the only one who's answering them."

That wasn't a bad answer. He pondered for a moment, before loading up a website and turning the screen towards her, "By the sound of things, you've never heard of us before and frankly that's pretty impressive today. Take a gander at this and it should clear up a few things."

Trixie didn't understand what he meant by any of that? But wanting answers, she obeyed and sat down opposite him to get a better view of the screen. It was a dark looking website with multiple links to… stories? Creepypasta? What kind of a name was that? Honestly, it sounded a little familiar to her where she'd heard it in passing, but never felt inclined to look it up. And it wasn't like she'd ever had much time to look up things with silly names in the first place. Her eyes scanned over the links available and debated which to choose first. She noticed that Ben had already highlighted a few either for her or from past history. Not sure she was going to like what she was going to see, Trixie pressed on.

Slenderman, BEN, Jeff the Killer, Eyeless Jack, , The Alice Killings, The Observer, Mr. Widemouth... she recognised those for obvious reasons. A sense of conflict battled within her. Something told her that if she had read these before all of this mess, they would have unnerved her for a moment while reading, but then at the end make her roll her eyes and carry on with her day. But knowing that these fictional characters were not only real but living under the same roof as her, it was enough to make her skin crawl. But then there were more, it seemed never ending. The Rake, Ickkbar Bigelstein, Seedeater, B.O.B... Just how many of these were there?

Just as she was about to click on one labelled 'Cupcakes', the screen snapped shut, nearly trapping her fingers. Her eyes, now dry from staring at the computer so intently, darted upwards to see an extremely irritated looking Jeff leaning on the item. He arched an eyebrow at Ben who continued with his relaxed demeanour.

"Ben, why are you filling the newbie's head with crap?" he asked.

"Crap it may be, Jeff," Ben nodded, "But it's out there and the newbie was curious."

"So, none of these stories are real?" Trixie asked, unsure if she felt relieved or cheated, "But -"

"Okay, how do I put this…" Jeff wondered.

Ben took charge by holding an arm out and sweeping his hand to the side dramatically, "Fanfiction. Fanfiction everywhere."

"There you have it." He clarified.

"People actually make up stories about you all killing people?"

The two snickered, Jeff folding his arms smugly, "And you thought that _we_ were fucked up."

"I know you are." She muttered darkly.

* * *

"Well don't you look happy as a -"

"Shut up, Shad." Alice snapped as she stormed past the shadowed figure.

"Bad day?" he asked with a hint of amusement, "As far as I was concerned, getting a job was how you liked to start the evening."

"Not when you've been told to drag along to newbie."

"You personally?"

"No. Just one of us in general to kick-start the Proxy cycle."

Shad shook his head pitifully, "So blind as always. You miss such simple things that would save so much time."

"Well unlike you I don't have the privilege of constantly watching everything twenty-four-seven, do I." She demanded, "And I don't have the time-"

"-Or patience."

"-for riddles so either make sense or make tracks."

In truth, Shad didn't fancy hanging around much longer, he had things to do. And neither did he fancy continuing the idiocy that would only end in his own annoyance. Like Ben, he had also noticed the newbie's eager routine to avoid contact, and also how it had failed as of late. But what he'd also taken note of was the lead smudges on her hands, the sounds of starching against paper in the night, and the little quivers of confusion as she created. And why shouldn't it be shared?

"What kind of Proxy do you think she is, prey tell?" he asked casually, "Active or Passive?"

"That's what I'm hoping to kick start on this job, dumbass."

"No need to be rude." He scolded, "Just think. How was it determined that Jeff, Toby, Jack and yourself were Active?"

Alice arched an eyebrow, not seeing the relevance of this, "We'd either killed before or we tried to kill someone to get out of here."

"Very good. And how could you tell that Ben, Smile and I were the forces behind discovering locations and crimes of those in the world?"

"Just say Passive or Tracker, Shad, stop over-complicating things, it doesn't make you sound big or clever." She huffed, "It was pretty obvious anyway with Ben and you being already dead and Smile sniffing out people who'd stared at that infected picture for too long."

"Put two and two together, Alice."

By the time she'd stopped outside the newbie's bedroom and knocked, Shad had already dissolved back into the wall and out of sight. It was pointless for him to stay. He'd said all he needed to and besides, he had someone on the outside that he really wanted to see. Alice brushed it off and knocked again, a little louder this time, but still no answer. She wanted freedom and a chance to get out, but not with a tag-along. It wouldn't only cramp her style, but it would also involve taking charge of someone who may not even be an Active. Then again she wasn't exactly showing signs of Passive either. Shad had always been an observer, hell it was even in the name people had given him. And Ben was already into his gaming, adding the Sickness was no problem. This time, there was nothing.

Just like the activity behind this door apparently. After knocking for a third time, Alice's impatience gave out and she opened the door forcefully to find that the bedroom was in fact empty. Weird, she thought, but shrugged it off as she took a scan of the room. It looked a lot more homily now since some stuff had been put in. It had been the same when she had first moved here. With the days that went by, more items would get delivered. Clothes, entertainment, books; it wasn't an offering of peace or anything like that. It was an offering of stimulation so that cabin fever didn't start up the Sickness again. And apparently the newbie had been making the most of them. Papers were strewn everywhere in small piles and mounds, each holding a highly detailed images of human faces and poses. They weren't exactly Da Vinci, but they were no playground scribbles either. A lot of thought had gone into these. But why?

"Watcha looking at?"

Alice looked up to see Toby standing in the doorway with his hands behind his back curiously, "The newbie's been busy." She answered, holding up a few drawings.

"Hey!" he announced, snatching one from her hands, "I know this guy, he was on my job list the other day! Did she know him? Weird."

"And this one…" she muttered, looking at a stray sketch that had fallen to the ground of a young man, a playing card poking our from the inside of his jacket. The pack of cards felt a little heavier in her pocket, "…looks very familiar indeed."

"Newbie's very popular if she knows all these people." Toby muttered, "Or she's good at guessing Slender's jobs."

Alice felt a spark of realisation at the back of her mind. And a hint of frustration that once again Shad had figured out a puzzle before her, "Passive…" She felt a sense of enjoyment at that, because that meant if the newbie wasn't a killer, then she wasn't going to be going outside very often, so all the more jobs for Alice to keep to herself, "She's a Passive."

Toby widened his eyes quizzically, "Awesome! So there's no need for Jeff and Ben to take her for a test run! I'll go tell them!"

"Wait," she ordered, grabbing his arm and glaring at him, "What did you just say?"

He shrugged, cartilage popping under his skin, "Slender sent out a message asking one of us to take newbie on a test run, right? Well Jeff thought it would be… what did he call it? Oh, he said it would be one hell of a laugh. Ben's going too I think."

"When did they leave?"

"A while ago. Apparently I wasn't allowed to go this time. Jeff's still holding a grudge." He sniggered, "Still not my fault though."

Alice snarled as she released him, marching down the corridor and leaving Toby confused, "Fucking morons…"

* * *

As much as the cool night air was refreshing to her, Trixie couldn't find herself enjoying it. How she'd managed to let this psycho talk her into coming with him was beyond her, but the promise of the outside world was too much for her. They walked down the road, Jeff with his hood pulled up tight and cell phone in hand where Ben's digital figure peered out eagerly. It wasn't very often Ben managed to get out without the use of the internet connections. There was something about being part of a group on a real outing that made his very pixels sharpen.

"What are we doing here again?" she asked as they stopped outside a local pub that had been shut up for the night.

"Slendy wanted you on a job, and we're babysitting." Ben called out from the phone, "Again."

"Well he wanted you to see a job in action." Jeff shrugged, putting on a smug expression, "And who better to watch then the best of the best?"

"And the modest of the modest…"

Trixie glared at the killer, "I've already seen you at work, remember? I am _not_ letting you put me through that again!"

"Oh calm down, it's not like you know this guy." He scoffed.

"What did he do?" she asked timidly.

"Ever heard of the term: Sodomy?"

A chill of unease made her root to the spot, "A little…"

"See, this guy is on the list, so suck it up and get in there." Jeff ordered harshly, "This one's _meant_ to get it tonight."

"Do you want to double check the address again just to be safe, Jeffy?" Ben mused.

"Ben I swear to god I will drop this phone down the fucking sewer drain with you in it!" he warned, using his knife to chip away at the locks, leaving enough give-way for him to ram the door open with his shoulder.

"I'm not going in there!" Trixie cried suddenly. Although the crime was unforgivable, she didn't see how this was any better.

"Okay then." Jeff shrugged passively, taking her by surprise as he pointed back up road where they'd come from, "Go back, it's not like Slendy's going to be annoyed or anything."

She looked to where he was pointing, "Y-you're serious?"

"Nope!" he announced, grabbing the back of her jacket and dragging her along behind him into the darkened depths of the building, "Now shut it and go stand over there, hold this."

He handed her the phone where she felt inclined to hold it out in front of her. For a second, she felt like sobbing as she saw Jeff's eyes widen in the gloom, hardening with the excitement of a new kill, the familiar burning at the back of his mind making him grin gleefully as he pictured the release of anger and stress that would soon come to be. God he could feel the two pairs of eyes behind him and it took a moment to remember that they weren't the ones he was here for. But there was that temptation. Time to move fast, before he would do something that he'd pretend he regret later.

Leading the way, Jeff scanned the room. A typical pub setting as far as he could see; a bar, tables and chairs, the occasional leftover pint glass on a table or some change scattered here and there on the floor. The place looked like it would pick up some business despite the run-down exterior. Too bad the locals didn't know about their landlords hobby… Jeff picked up a glass and lazily dropped it on the floorboards, the sound of shattering glass making Trixie jump back in surprise and almost drop the phone much to Ben's amusement. The sound was loud enough to arouse disturbance from above. Trixie backed against the wall as Jeff took position just out of sight. A figure cautiously peered around a back doorway, shakily holding out a kitchen knife.

"Who's there?" he called, sidestepping along the bar to try and get a better view, "Don't fuck around with me! You really don't want to do that…"

Trixie clamped her teeth down on her tongue to stop a shriek of fear. Not only because she felt that she knew this stranger, an image in her mind escaped not long ago, but because of the sudden blackness that seeped into his eyes for a split second before melting away. What was that? What was _this?_ No one's eyes went like that, well there was Ben's and Smile's but that didn't count, right? But it didn't last long. Because that's when Jeff stepped from the darkness, raising his weapon threateningly.

"I could say the same thing about me…"

At the voice, the strangers eyes blackened once more as he span around. The killer was paused in surprise at the sight, which was his only mistake. The stranger grabbed Jeff by the throat and slammed his back onto the bar surface. Jeff cackled twistedly as he kicked out and flipped backwards to safety, waiting for the soon to be victim to dart around and try another attack. But by the time he'd straightened up, the stranger was already within meters of him. This wasn't right. This guy was too fast, and his eyes… what the fuck? No Jeff, he warned himself, it just makes the job more fun!

Jeff turned and saw the victim charge towards him, a weapon in hand that by far outsized his own. What was lacking in skill, reach would make up for. Well, Jeff thought as he aimed his blade outwards in preparation, this is going to hurt a little. His body tensed, ready for receiving impact as well as delivering his own. Jeff had mapped out this moment. He mentally accepted that the attacker would continue to charge, take a random swing that would most likely make contact, and then Jeff would take that moment to step back before lunging again to finish the job. Or rather, that's what would have happened, if the guy hadn't stumbled, toppling forward with a wide-eyed look of surprise spreading on the inhuman features. And just before the end came… the eyes paled. Human, and dead.

The chin of which tilted upwards from the fall, leaving the throat perfectly exposed as it made contact with the tip of Jeff's knife. He could feel the metal gracefully sinking upwards through the jaw of the victim, dividing the tongue and embedding into the roof of the mouth. The sounds of gargled gasps filled the air, muffled thuds to follow as the concoction of blood and saliva hit the ground. Jeff's hands were warmed by the mixture as it tricked down the weapons handle and over his skin.

An urge to laugh bubbled inside of him, and he succumbed to it, letting out a low chuckle which made the corpse quiver sickeningly, "Go to sleep…"

However, Jeff found himself confused. Stumbling was not part of the equation when you charged to protect your life. So what happened? Still keeping his arms in front of him and the body in place, he tilted his head to the side to get a view of the floor. What he saw, gave him the urge to snigger once more. The newbie was laying on her stomach, panting as the adrenaline rushed through her. A leap, a desperation, and her hands had clawed around the corpses ankles. And he'd just fallen…

"Nice job, newbie." Jeff smirked, jolting his arms violently to the side so that the blade slid with a sickening squelch out of the stranger's head, a crack as the literal deadweight smacked against the counter top on its way to the floor. He rubbed his hands on his jeans, pocketing his blade and stepping over to grab the newbie's jacket and roughly yanking her to stand uneasily, "That went somewhat smoother than expected."

Trixie swayed as she flinched away from him. Bile fizzed at the back of her throat as her actions sunk in. It had all gone by so fast. The stranger about to kill, Jeff bracing himself, and then this… Why had she done that? What made her jump and grasp so suddenly? This wasn't what she wanted, was it? As much as she wanted to say no, the burning under the branded part of her skin told her otherwise. It was like an… instinct…

"I-I didn't m-mean-" she heaved, the vomit at her throat refusing to move, "H-he and-"

"Fuck, it's like talking to a retard." Jeff groaned, grabbing the back of her head and forcing her to bend over, smacking her shoulders. At the sudden impact, she coughed, releasing the bile and stomach acid past her lips and pouring it onto the floor. He stepped back in boredom as she continued to throw up, cleaning his blade on his sleeve, "For once I think Alice is right, you ain't no killer."

Ignoring the foul taste in her mouth, Trixie spat for a final time, glaring at him as the shock wore away, "No fucking shit."

"Oh we're getting a bit of a backbone now? Good." He smiled, tapping the cell phone he found on the table she'd been ducked by, "Up and at 'em freeloader!"

A wisp of pixels and static seemed to slither from the screen, taking shape at the bar. Ben shimmered from the vapour and stretched out, taking in the scene, "I'm guessing those eye tricks are something to report?"

"Yeah what the fuck was that all about?"

"You're guess is as good as mine." Ben shrugged passively, "But at least job's done."

"Done dusted and soon to be cremated. So, after a job well done…" Jeff smirked wryly, hoisting himself over the bar behind him and helping himself to a glass of something hanging from the wall and sliding it down the woodwork, "What's your poison?"

"Because the dead are known for their sense of taste." Ben mocked. He caught sight of Trixie downing the brown liquid in the glass that she'd caught abruptly and he stole a snarky glance at Jeff, "How you holding out there, newbie?"

Clenching her eyes shut, Trixie took a slow breath to extinguish the burning sensation in her throat that the alcohol had left, "I'm fine."

But all the same, she found herself holding out the glass for a refill to which Jeff obliged, rolling his eyes passively. Again, she swallowed it eagerly, a numbness forming in the pit of her stomach and warming her trembling fingers. Why were they do dismissive of this? They'd just killed someone whose eyes were inhuman! And the killing itself had all happened so quickly. A blur that she wasn't entirely sure she remembered. Why had she stopped him getting to Jeff anyway? It would have been what he deserved right? Maybe it was because she just couldn't let herself watch another death again, and it was pure bad luck that it was him she ended up saving. Or maybe because there was an anger inside of her, and it should be her job to kill him, not some mutated thing that she didn't know anything about. Either way, she wasn't sure. But if Jeff alive meant answers to what the hell that guy was, then it wasn't a total loss. From the frustration, she let out a growl.

Mistaking the sound for a slur, Jeff arched an eyebrow, "You don't drink very often do you?"

"Looks like you're not the lightweight anymore." Ben added to his friend jokingly.

"You're the fucking lightweight!"

"Whatever gave you that idea?" he asked sardonically, folding his arms behind his back casually while he started to hover a few feet above the bar for effect, "You were saying, newbie?"

"Don't call me newbie anymore." She said, hazel eyes narrowing.

"Jeff grumbled, "It's not like you've told us otherwise so unless you've got something else up your sleeve, tough shit."

"Trixie." She snapped.

"Tough Trixie then! Whatever!"

"Oh dear god…" Ben groaned, smacking his palm to his face.

She sighed, kind of wishing she'd stayed quiet, "My name, just… just Trixie."

**A/N:**

**So what was up with that dude? And why don't Ben and Jeff really care, well because there's alcohol involved that's why! And before you ask no this is NOT a romance blooming, Trixie just didn't want to feel the guilt of another person dying because she was in freeze-mode. It kind of backfired but… as is life. XD Review please! **

**And in case it wasn't clear, an Active Proxy is someone who goes out and kills, a Passive Proxy is someone who infects sickness or tracks the victims for the Active to kill. Trixie is a Passive, seeing the victim before they get chosen. Kind of like Ben sending out games and Smile with that picture of his XD**


	8. Questions Rising

**A/N:**

**To 'Guest' who reviewed the last chapter, to answer your questions, the term 'Proxy' means to act upon another's behalf. So as Slender is the one in charge of this group of misfits, they are his Proxies because they work for him and do what he says. As they are also branded with his blood, the blood of a demon, they are immune to aging and must do his bidding for eternity. Also, yeah sure I don't mind you using this concept for your own work, but I'm not sure that I'd like Trixie to be used sorry. The name of Toby's creator on DA has changed to 'Fatal-Impurity' if you'd like to use him. Thanks for asking and I'd love to see it when it's up XD**

Trixie slumped onto the sofa in the common room and did her best to ignore the sickly feeling in the pit of her stomach that had been sitting there from the night before. Last night, she'd allowed herself to be escorted back after having a few more drinks of some burning concoction in hopes of erasing the brutal scene of the pub from her mind. It had failed, and the fact that her head felt cloudy and the churning in her belly was a cruel reminder. A sketchpad perched on her lap, and a morbid sense of guilt ate at her as she started to draw. The branding on her arm burning as she started to draw a new stranger ready for the line-up.

"What's up with you?" Toby asked, prodding her shoulder.

"Nothing." She mumbled, not really giving a satisfying answer and so Toby continued to poke her shoulder. On his other side, Jack sat perfectly still, practically blending into the atmosphere.

"Just figured out that vodka, whiskey and murder aren't a good mix?" Alice asked sardonically, to which Trixie looked down at the floor.

"Have you reported to Slender yet about last night?" Jeff asked openly.

Ben gave him a curt look over his shoulder as he shut his laptop, putting his work on a Sonic game to rest, "Are you kidding me? I'm not even really allowed to go out on Active jobs, you think I'm giving myself away like that?"

Alice paused her game of Solitaire and smirked, "Hmm, you come across something with freaked out eyes, something that's not human… and you don't want to tell anyone because you're scared of being sent to the naughty corner."

"The eyes weren't _that_ freaky…" Ben argued, deliberately widening his own, scarlet pupils glowing in distain, "And anyway, Jeff's job means Jeff's problem."

"Thanks for the back-up…"

Alice rolled her eyes at the killer and looked over at Trixie, who looked unnaturally pale and irritated at the constant childish badgering from Toby. She leaned away from the table to give the girl a light push, making Trixie sway unsteadily. Alice gave a sly smile, "I hope you're happy, you took a double load of dead weight to a job, refused to report on possible crucial information… and now you've broken the newbie."

"Trixie." The said newbie corrected.

"What?" Alice asked irritably.

"Trixie." Ben repeated smugly, "Honestly, Alice are you so rude that you won't even call her by her name?"

"She hasn't told us her name yet and-" she paused as the newbie nodded lazily and the others shrugged wryly, "Oh fuck this." She huffed, turning back to her game "Point being, Slender needs to know sooner rather than later."

"Oh like you're one to talk!" Jeff snapped.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing at all, you just carry on being a hypocrite."

"Look who's talking!"

"You really want to go there?" He demanded, getting to his feet and storming across to leer over her.

"Maybe I'm already there waiting for you!" she returned, standing and looking at him in the eye.

"Wow, I haven't heard that one before!"

"You know what? I think I'll go tell Slender myself about what happened last night. I'm sure he'd love to hear about another of your fuck ups." She challenged, lightly sidestepping him and forcefully marching to the door.

"You wouldn't dare."

"Bye Jeffy-boy." She shrugged, blowing a kiss in his direction before vanishing into the corridor.

"Bitch, get your ass back here! Hey!" he yelled, giving chase and leaving the room in silence.

Trixie sighed, the loud voices causing mild pain behind her temples, "Jeff and Alice argue a lot."

"Huh? Oh yeah they do." Toby agreed.

"Good observation skills as always." Ben commented.

"But it's not like regular arguing. It's more like," she struggled to find the right word, "_tension_."

She didn't mean to make it sound to suggestive, but it caused the spectre to smirk all the same, "Oh I've been waiting for this talk… go ahead, ask the question."

After that comment she didn't want to answer, but it wasn't a choice apparently, "Is, or was, there something going on between them?" Cringing as she spoke, Trixie regretted bringing it up.

Ben shrugged passively, "You know how the Sickness works. If someone witnesses one of us killing another and survives, they are infected and if they survive the process must be recruited?" He waited for her to nod before continuing, "Well Alice was out on a job, and whose neighbourhood does she stumble into but Jeff's." he explained slyly, "Jeff already owned an impressive body count by this point anyways. So seeing someone else like him was like leading a pig to slaughter, so to speak."

"I can't see Alice being happy with getting caught out." Trixie admitted, eyes drooping, "Or Jeff being happy being dragged into this."

"Nope." Toby agreed, "That day was _loud_!"

"Not to mention regretful…" Jack stated, talking for the first time that day.

"And the _tension_ as you call it has been building ever since. Personally I've got my money on Jeff taking the first swing but Alice finishing it." Ben sniggered.

"More like Jeff starting it and then _Slendy_ finishing it." Toby laughed, "What'd you think, Trix?"

Trix? She hadn't exactly been expecting a nickname on top of her current one. And she didn't really want to place bets between two skilled killers, one of which she'd regretfully seen in action. Finishing the outline of her sketch, she answered, "I guess it's just a matter of waiting to find out."

* * *

Shad pushed himself through the walls, his cloak turning to wisps of smoke before collecting to fabric once again as it lost contact with the painted plaster. The room was familiar to him, and so it should. He'd made a point of visiting the spacious bedroom after every job he had received. But it wasn't the room he'd come to see, it was _her_. His Emily.

Even as the lights were out and her eyes closed in the contentment of sleep, her beauty called out like a moth to a flame. But that was only just a small fraction. Her laugh, her smile, her voice and even the way she walked was something he admired with the greatest respect. The memory of his first sighting was one he'd never forget. It was such a long time ago, when he'd clarified that her father should be condemned. She had been so young, and once the deed was done, the tears that fell from her bright eyes instantly brought a rare sense of guilt to the back of his mind. From the fascination of the unfamiliar trait, he stayed in the shadows to figure out, just why. Although, as she aged, and the lingering emotion he felt mutated into something else… he found that his returning visits weren't intrigue anymore. They were willing, harmless, _observations_.

He made his way a little closer to her bed and dared to push back some of the silken hair that had fallen in front of her nose. A twin set of sires embedded into her ears as her i-pod sung her a lullaby. In a world filled with blood, scars and the dead… he couldn't help but think of her as perfect. There had been moments when she'd almost seen him, surprising her into giving out a small squeak as she looked up from a book; but he wouldn't do that to her. She wasn't worth the Sickness even if it meant actually talking to her. He didn't make mistakes, so this was the closest to one that he dared to make. Risks however, well they were everywhere.

Shad swiftly melted back into the darkness as she stirred and muttered from her dreams. He couldn't make it out, but it was enough to make him smile. That is, until she stared to peek through her eyelids. He waited out of sight, but just close enough to keep looking at her. In fact, he was actually looking forward to seeing those bright, round eyes in the darkness. It wasn't often he got to see them on nights like this. So he waited. He waited for them to open so that the shred of colour could shine bright and then… He froze.

Black orbs, leaking with the shadows of night… minuscule flecks of scarlet to form fiery pupils… darting at random with hunger for prey… Emily sat up, a low growl in her throat. But some shred of humanity jolted her, sending the emptiness to drain away back to their usual content. She shook in panic at what she presumed was a nightmare. Laying back down, she waited for sleep to take her again. Shad, had already left the room.

* * *

Slender had barely returned half an hour before the intrusions started again, "Slender, I need to talk to you about something important."

"No, she doesn't."

Slender straightened at the bickering behind him, he didn't bother turning around when he answered, _If you're not going to make up your minds then please take your leave… _

"Yeah you heard the boss, fuck off." Jeff demanded, glaring at the girl.

_Jeffery, you're infuriating eagerness to persist makes me think that hearing Alice out isn't such a bad idea…_

"Yeah, you heard the boss, fuck off." Alice quoted smugly, earning another look of hatred.

_Your eagerness to tattle on your co-worker is also infuriating, Alice… _Slender pointed out, _Jeffery, I'm still waiting on your report from last night… _

"Actually, Slender, that's what I wanted to talk to you about." Alice interjected, "You see, Jeffy-boy here -"

"Fine! I'll tell him! Christ!" Jeff groaned, running a hand through his hair irritably and waiting for Slender to turn around to face him, "Well, now before you say anything, I got the job _done_! And I did what you said and took the newbie out on a job -"

"When she's a Passive not an Active. Oh, and wasn't there another Passive you took out too?"

"I'm getting to that…"

Not wanting to let Alice get the better of him by personally exposing his mistakes, but still not wanting to expose them himself, Jeff had no choice but to tell the tale. Of course he tried to make himself sound as good as possible; he was in enough trouble already. So he exchanged the need for entertainment as a reason for taking Trixie on a job to 'doing what he thought was asked of him'. He also said that he didn't know that Ben was with him until it was too late and like a 'responsible' Proxy, didn't want to waste time by sending him back. And the part where Trixie had stopped the victim from causing any damage and the intake of alcohol wasn't even mentioned. Instead. He kept his focus mainly on the fact that he'd done the job in record timing, everyone got back in one piece, and that there was something seriously wrong with that man's eyes.

"They were kinda like Ben's, with the black and red I mean." Jeff finished, "So yeah, that's pretty much it."

_And you didn't report this sooner because…?_ Slender asked grudgingly.

"To save his own skin."

Resisting the urge to smack that look off her face, he kept eyes on his mentor, "I didn't think it was that big a deal. I mean the guy's dead right?"

_As you well know, where one problem arises another can't be far behind…_

"I'm pretty sure he means you, Jeffy-boy."

"You can get lost, you know." He growled.

_If you're going to continue bickering like children then you can take it elsewhere…_ Slender's voice boomed inside their skulls, making them flinch, _I have other things to think about…_

Jeff sensed an opportunity and held his hands behind his back hopefully, "So… what I'm hearing is that I'm free to go?" He waited for a curt nod before grinning and flashing a middle-finger at Alice, "Good enough for me, see ya!"

Slender watched the frustration spread on Alice's face before giving him a quizzical look. From experience she knew that he would not normally just leave such incompetence there without reason. However, he gave her no answer, and with no expression to read, she composed herself and also took her leave.

Now alone, Slender looked back at the drawings that had been lain in wait on his desk by one of the others. It had become knowledge of the new Passive quality in the new arrival. The drawings were interesting, but not unheard of. After all, Ben's game hacking was far more unusual. Extending his pale fingers, he leafed through a few, taking in the details and looking specifically for the one feature mentioned. But he wished that he didn't find them. Life was not that kind. There weren't many, but occasionally, there's be large gatherings of scratched lent where the pencil had blacked out the eyes, leaving tiny circles in the centre for pupils. This wasn't right. Not right at all…

Something stirred behind him, he didn't bother turning, _You know that lurking in shadows doesn't work with me…_

Shad emitted from the corner, eyes icy with suppressing his rage, "From what I've just overheard, you're aware of the situation."

_Aware, yes, in understanding, no…_

"Then with all due respect, Sir, you'd better understand it."

Not used to the harsh tone, Slender turned, _I'm trying; why the sudden force…?_

"Because it's spread to -" he cut himself off, "No reason, it's putting our kind in a liability."

_You're a terrible liar… Are you going to tell me the truth…?_

Knowing that there was no point in arguing, Shad took a breath and prepared himself, "It's spread to Emily. I went to see her tonight."

_You know that you're only torturing yourself with that girl, nothing will come from it…_

"I'm aware. But in my personal opinion, isn't it better I was there and saw that instead of another case going unnoticed?"

_Possibly... That doesn't excuse the principle of the matter… But I agree that this can be put aside for now…_

"What're you saying, Sir?"

_I'm saying that this isn't unfamiliar to me…_

Shad understood exactly what he meant, "You think this is _his_ work."

It wasn't a question, and Slender knew it, _I hope not, but it must be seen to… You can manage things here I trust…?_

"How long will you be gone?"

_I'm not sure, but my search must be secure, but you're not to search for me if I'm gone too long and the others are not to know… This shouldn't concern Proxies; it's demon's work… So I'll ask again, you can handle things here…?_

Shad knew it was his duty. Throughout the years it had been his soul purpose to follow and obey Slender. It was the choice he made when it had come down to taking a side all those decades ago, and he stood by it. But the way Slender was making things sound, it didn't seem like he would be coming back from this search. And not by choice either. But, Shad stood by his position firmly.

"Yes, Sir, I wish you luck."

**A/N:**

**Once again, search 'Creepypasta Emily' if you want to get a better idea of what this obsession Shad has for the girl!**

**Hopefully, the plot thickens, lol XD So who's the 'he' that Shad referred to? And why do the creepy eyes that are popping up match Ben's? And why are they spreading anyway? You'll have to keep reading to find out. Until next time!**


	9. A Picture Speaks a Thousand Words

**A/N:**

**So Slendy's gone in search of what's spreading the Sickness. Where will this lead us? Read on and you shall find out! Also, a big thanks to 'Aingirl' for the awesome fanart! **

"Hey it's your theme song…" Ben muttered, thumbing over his shoulder at the stereo as it started blasting out a familiar tune.

_Well they encourage your complete cooperation, send ya roses when they think ya need to smile!_

Alice rolled her eyes, "God I hate this song and its ironic accuracy."

Jeff smirked and joined in just for the sole purpose of annoying her further, "_I can't control myself because I don't know how and they love me for it honestly I'll be here for a while! So give them blood, blood, gallons of the stuff!_" He smacked Ben on the shoulder with a maniacal grin,_ "I give them all that they can drink and it'll never be enough! So give them blood, blood, blood... Grab a glass because there's gonna be a flood!_"

Ben had just sat there patiently awaiting the end of his friends outburst, an unamused blandness to his expression, "Slendy's not going to like you being late again. And I doubt a musical number as a valid excuse."

"_A celebrated man amongst the gurneys,_" Jeff continued, putting a hand over his heart in pretence respect,_ "They can fix me proper with a bit of luck, the doctors and the nurses they adore me so; but it's really quite alarming!" _He shrugged, trapping Alice to his side and leering at her threateningly,_ "Cuz I'm such an awful fuck…_"

"No arguments there." She snapped, jabbing him in the ribs.

"Why thank you." He nodded mockingly, slowly getting up and moving to each syllable, "_I, gave, you… blood! Blood, gallons of the stuff!" _He jumped on the arm of the sofa and raised a fist,_ "I gave you all that you can drink and it has never been enough, I gave you blood, blood, blood… I'm the-_"

"_-kinda human wreckage that ya love!_"

Jeff stumbled to the floor and turned to face the intruder with a glare of irritation, "God-damnit Toby you stole the best line!"

Coming out from his hiding place peeking through a gap in the doorway, Toby cackled, "Couldn't resist!"

"_I'm_ resisting snapping your neck, mostly because I know you'll beat me too it!"

Toby shrugged with an ironic _crack_ of his shoulders, "Slendy's still waiting by the way."

"For fucks sake I'm on my way! I was busy!"

"_There's no business like show business_…" Ben mumbled wryly.

"Piss off…"

Alice allowed herself a snigger before giving Toby a quizzical look, "So you've seen Slender then? I haven't seen him since me and Jeff spoke to hi-"

"Since you charged up to him sticking your nose into other peoples business you mean!"

"At least I have a nose, Jeffy-boy." She quipped, staring directly at Jeff's lack of feature due to the pale burns covering his skin.

"Cheap shot." Ben warned.

"As I was saying…" she continued, "That was like three days ago and I haven't seen him around since."

"You're still getting jobs though so why complain?" Ben asked.

"I'm not complaining, just noting. And that last one I took care of had the same eye-problem as the last one so I think it should be reported. So Toby, have you seen him."

Toby snapped his head u[ at suddenly being addressed again, "Him who?"

"Slender."

"Where?"

"You tell me."

"Tell you what who is where?"

Alice clenched her fists as the two other boys started laughing at her expense, "Toby, I'm going to make this simple for you -"

"Okay, but can you hurry it up. Shad told me to tell Jeff that Slendy said that he's got a job for him. Hey, don't you think it's weird that Shad's the one passing messages? Doesn't Slendy normally give those himself?"

Irritation fizzing in the pit of her stomach, words were strained, "Yes, Toby. It's very weird. Good job for noticing…"

Ben gave a sneer, "Alright Alice, put the claws away."

"Yeah, let me get ready for the job and I'll have this whole thing cleared up." Jeff announced confidently, "I don't know why you're so worried about; it's Slendy for gods sake…"

They were abruptly interrupted by a certain sandy haired girl stumbling into the room, hazel eyes wide with confliction between worry and uncertainty. A piece of paper was tightly gripped in her hand. She'd appeared so swiftly that she almost crashed right into Toby, but managed to press herself against the doorframe to just avoid him. Eyes rested on her and the urge to freeze peaked, but she resisted and continued to move across the room towards the Informer.

Alice quirked an eyebrow in amusement, "What's the rush, kid?"

Trixie paused for a second and looked at her curiously, deliberately avoiding eye contact with two certain killers, "Have, uh… Have you ever heard of one of you guys being picked to be killed before? Like on a job or something?"

Ben looked quizzical, "What're you getting at?"

"I was drawing and, well… I ended up with this."

Eager to be rid of the thing, Trixie handed the paper over for it to be snatched up by Toby. He inspected it closely while the others gathered behind him trying to get a glance. He tilted his head sceptically, "You forgot to draw his face." He commented.

The suited, slim figure on the page lay contorted in what seemed like agony, his formal attire torn and damp. Black snake-like tendrils lay limp from his back… and a pale, expressionless face tilted as if looking up at his attacker. Trixie shook her head, "I don't think he ever had one to start with…"

* * *

Trixie sat in deep thought as she waited with the others, mainly about the life she was now cursed with and the routine she'd found herself performing. It had been almost a month since she'd been branded, and it almost disturbed her at how she'd come to adjust. She no longer felt the longing to be outside. From her last experience, the outside world meant death. In an ironic twist of fate, being trapped here with the merciless, spared her from the horrors they spread. Not an ideal arrangement, but she learned not to question it. Much like her recent drawings; the guilt ate at her, but she found that if she passed them on as soon as possible, then the quicker she could forget them and pretend she'd never seen the faces of the walking dead. What also disturbed her was how accustomed to most of those around her she'd become. Of course, she'd never seen the outside side of them and thus had nothing to compare them to. Yet… nothing could stop the pang of fearful rage when she saw Jeff or Toby. It wasn't something she could help. And it confused her greatly that she could be so daring with her words and yet feel the need to run whenever she was in contact with them. Natural, yet confusing.

Which is why she felt so conflicted when she dared to glance at her latest creation just moments ago. In truth she'd barely had more than two conversations with Slender. One when she was branded, and the second which couldn't even be counted as one; it was when he had found her out as Passive proxy and asked if she would deliver each drawing to him when finished. She agreed, and feeling a growing chill in his presence had swiftly excused herself. Apart from leaving a sketch with him, that was all the contact she had with him. In truth she'd never had the chance to develop and attachment or resentment to him. So finding him to be the focus of her lethal sketches was somewhat of a surprise. She knew that without him around, the others would be even more unpredictable as they were now, and that scared her. But with him gone, didn't that mean they were free? But why would a leader of such high proportion, allow himself to be lined up for death? Unless… he didn't have a choice?

Currently, she sat in the Informer and observed as Alice, Jeff, Ben and Toby shot their questions at Shad, not exactly giving him the time to respond before asking another. She looked at Jack who leant against the wall beside her, head ducked and as quiet as ever. But asking if he was alright would have to wait; Shad was addressing her.

"When did you draw this, Beatrix?" he asked, refusing to even touch the paper, "And what exactly did you see?"

She wanted to correct him into just calling her 'Trixie', it was nothing personal, she just hated her full name being used in general; but felt it wasn't the time, "This morning." She answered, uncomfortable with the set of eyes settled on her, including the canine pair that peered up at her from the side of her chair. "I… I didn't really see anything. I never have, I just draw and what comes out comes out."

"How convenient." Alice huffed, "Alright, Shad, out with it "

"Would you care to be more specific?" he challenged.

"Come on, let's not be coy." Ben scolded jokingly, "You know what's up with the sudden eye-craze and where Slendy is."

"I assure you I don't. For the most part." Shad was not a fan of wasting words, and this was not helping, "Slender had an idea of what was causing the spreading of the Sickness, and he'd left to clarify it before stopping it before it gets out of hand."

Smile grumbled as he shifted from paw to paw as if uneased. Toby tilted his head, a flicker of nervousness in his tone, "He's coming back though, right?"

He looks like a child who's been left with a babysitter for the first time, Trixie noted, unsure if the parent will return or not. Shad remained emotionless in his answer, "It's both possible and probable. And it just as equally isn't."

Jeff rolled his eyes, "So you've been playing the big man in charge? How's the working out for ya?"

"You were getting your jobs and completing them, weren't you? I say it was working rather well."

"Oh really?"

"I think so.?" Toby interjected, "So, when is Slendy coming back?"

There is was again, Trixie thought, like he was lost. The question escaped her before she could stop it, "If I drew him, does that mean he isn't coming back?"

Jack finally moved, almost making her jump as he set those empty black sockets on her, "Maybe he isn't, and if that's the case then we're even more damned than before."

"What d'you mean?" Jeff asked tiredly.

"We do as he says, and as a result we survive. If he's gone, then how long can we last?" he shrugged, looking solemnly and apologetically at the cloaked figure, "And you know you can't take over for much longer. It's not your position and it wasn't part of _that _deal."

At that Smile let out a laud bark that made Trixie grip the sides of her seat in surprise. He looked infuriated that such a thing was even mentioned. Trixie felt some comfort in the fact that she was not the only one who was confused at that. Alice folded her arms pointedly, "What deal?"

"It's not proxy business." Shad returned forcefully.

"Don't act to high and mighty, you're one of us remember?" Alice snapped.

"Let's ask Slendy." Toby insisted, "I want to look for him."

"Oh sure. Where're you going to start, the local night-clubs?" Jeff scoffed, "You'd have more luck tracking down a brain-cell than him."

"Actually, I wouldn't find trying to find him." Alice shrugged, "It's better than sitting around doing nothing."

"You're just saying that because you want to do the opposite of Jeff." Ben sniggered.

"Not necessarily. I know for a fact that Jeffy-boy would be more than willing to join the search party if it meant taking the long way home…"

"You don't know _what _I want!"

"Don't I?"

"Enough of this." Shad demanded, "We continue as before, if Slender hasn't returned by the end of the week, then we can return to this." He stated, finally casting his eyes at the drawing with distaste, "For now, Slender left me the duty of continuing his work, and I aim to do so. I suggest you do the same."

* * *

As she wondered down the corridor back towards her bedroom, Trixie's mind was abuzz. What was the deal that Jack had mentioned, and why had it gotten such a reaction of dismissal? Drawing Slender didn't make much more sense. She had become aware of the differences between drawing for the sake of it, and drawing for another's job, and this was a murder in the making. But why, and whose task was it? Usually there would be an item, or a mark, something to signify the killer. But not this time. It was completely bare. But Slender couldn't die, right? Can demons even die?

A loud bark snapped her back to the present and she turned on her heel to see Smile scampering up to her, paper clamped between his teeth. In the knowledge that he wouldn't harm her due to his sensing of the brand on her shoulder, she didn't feel any hesitation to stoop down and take it from him. Unfolding it curiously, she saw that it was a sketch from a few days ago intended for Jeff. She slumped her shoulders and looked at the animal tiredly.

"Shad wants me to give this to him, doesn't he?"

Smile lived up to his name at that, baring its freakishly human-shaped teeth before making an escape. Trixie took a shuddery breath and held it until she was standing outside Jeff's bedroom. Sighing, hating herself for this, as well as resentment towards Shad for making her, she knocked forcefully on the door. No answer came. A second time she knocked and braved calling his name, again to no answer. She tried to slide the paper under the door, but the frame was like a containment unit, completely sealed tight. So, wanting to be rid of the sketch and be as far from this place as soon as possible; Trixie made the choice to go inside, leave the paper where he could see it, and leave. No fuss, no contact, no hassle.

Inside, the room looked just like any other twenty-year-old boys bedroom. Unmade bed, clothes scattered on the floor, and the occasional exposed magazine which she felt best not to look at. But no matter how average it appeared to be, she still wanted out. In the end, she chose to prop the drawing on one of the shelves above the desk. However, upon retracting her hand, she brushed something that instantly clattered to the ground. Jumping from surprise and avoidance; Trixie stared at the thing. Feeling a sickening sense of disgust and horror as she recognised it… as a knife. It lay on the floor, its personal stand on the shelf now empty. Instinctively, Trixie picked it up, feeling the weight in her palm. It looked like such a simple, basic thing, just an average kitchen knife that you'd find in any house. Yet there it was, ready with its own stand on a shelf like some valued artefact. Did Jeff use this for every kill? It was still so sharp. But if he used this on every kill, didn't that mean…?

She recoiled as if the blade had been coated in acid. The item clattered to the floor, remaining motionless at her feet. A whimper of unease escaped her throat of its own accord. If this really was used every time, then wasn't this the knife that helped to murder her brother? She couldn't bare to think like that and so she gritted her teeth, forcing herself to once again hold the weapon in her hands. She was about to replace it on the mantle when something beside it caught her eye. Beside the frame used to hold the knife was a simple photo.

Just a small snapshot alone, propped against the wall and wrinkled with age. It was of two boys, young teenagers. They stood side by side; one with mousy brown hair and bright eyes, gripping the other in a playful headlock while the victim of said action was paused in mid-laugh. There was something familiar about the smiling boy. He was clearly related to the other, brothers perhaps, the same bright eyes but with dark brown hair instead. Trixie squinted in thought. This boy, that normal human-looking boy, it couldn't be-

Trixie let out a shriek of pain as something clenched tightly at her hair, forcing her backwards and slamming against the wall. A harsh tug wrenched the knife from her hand, slicing her palm in the process. A low snarl rang in her ear as she was met with wide, black-rimmed eyes that burned in fury. Teeth clenched between an engraved mouth set dangerously close to her. Forcing herself to speak, Trixie could only just get out a whisper.

"J-Jeff, I'm sorry, I-I didn't -" her body shook violently, making her words fail her, "The kn-knife was on the floor, I j-just, I -"

Trixie felt the tip of the blade dig into her ever so slightly at the base of her chin. Jeff's enraged expression just emitted with burning hatred. She noticed that despite his firm grip he had on the weapon, he was stroking it with a kind of affection with his thumb. He forced her away from the wall and inhumanly dragged her out of his room and into the corridor, he didn't stop, and she didn't make a sound apart fro the occasional involuntary grunt of pain. He stopped at her bedroom, leaving the lights off as he slammed her back against the nearest wall, winding her. With just his looming silhouette before her, Trixie braced herself for whatever he had planned for her. Finally, he spoke; it was a guttural growl that, as much as she hated it, suited his appearance perfectly. And yet at the same time, it wasn't him at all.

"The only time you'll ever touch this knife again is when it sinks into your skull, understand?"

As best as she was able, she nodded and felt the blade pull away. Jeff shivered a little as if wakening from a day-dream. But the anger remained with him. Tucking the weapon into the front pouch of his hoodie, he turned and vanished from the room with a slam of the door loud enough to make Trixie jolt, leaving her in total darkness. She thanked herself for being against a wall, it stopped her from collapsing. Slowly, she let her knees bend, forcing herself to stumble onto her bed so that she could curl in on herself in hopes of faking security. Her blankets were used to stop the bleeding in her stinging palm, her eyes closed, wishing that she could just disappear.

It was unknown how long she remained like that, but she daren't move. Again, she'd frozen in fear when she'd promised herself that she wouldn't. It had been just like that night… all over again… How dare he. How fucking dare he. He'd no right to make her feel that kind of fear again. Unfortunately, those thoughts didn't last long as a sickening crack of a cartilage rang out, making her eyes snap open. Instantly, they were met with a pair of gleaming goggles and a muzzle of a mask, pale cheeks raised in a hidden grin.

"There you are!" Toby announced.

"Where else would she be?" A sly voice asked from behind him, revealing to belong to Ben, "Just a message that Jack's cooked up some grub if you want in. Although I wouldn't recommend his steak and kidney pie… you only make that mistake once…" he prepared for some reception at his humour, but there was nothing, so instead he added curtly, "And we're also breaking out of here tonight when Shad's occupied with _work_."

"We're going on a Slendy-Search." Toby clarified as Trixie sat up with sudden confusion.

"Correction. He's going on a search. The rest of us are just using it as an excuse to piss off Shad."

She folded her arms sceptically, also hiding the crusted blood in her hand shamefully, "Isn't that a bit… childish?" She meant on both accounts, but didn't want to clarify.

"What's up with you?" Ben asked, "I would have thought you'd jump at a chance to get out for a while."

She didn't say anything, she just couldn't. Instead she held herself a little tighter. Toby looked at Ben and shrugged. The spectre peered at the girl, and seemed to calculate her anxiety. He lsat cross-legged at the foot of the bed. There were no traces of sympathy in his tone as he spoke, instead just deadpan and factual as if commenting on the results of a sports game, "I heard about the incident."

At that, she looked at the floor timidly, fearing she was going to be forced to relive the threat. But instead of a cruel glare or violent shove, Toby laughed and grabbed a strand of her hair, giving it a tug with each word, "No. Touchie. Jeffy's. Things."

She shook him away and swallowed, "It just fell off the shelf…"

"Then you leave it." Ben shrugged, "Jeff's real anal about that thing."

"Why?"

He scratched the back of his head, trying to find the best way to put it. In the end, he tossed aside all gentleness. It was part of who they all were; no sense in sugar-coating it. He gave her a 'what can you do?' kind of look and answered, "It's kind of an heirloom. That thing saved his brother, gave him his scars _and_ took his family's life. They're inseparable."

Trixie felt her eyes widen, "He-"

"Don't go believing everything you see online, take it from personal experience." He insisted, "But… occasionally they get little bits right."

Toby nodded matter-of-factly. So those boys in the picture, had that been Jeff and his brother? And Jeff killed him? But Jeff had looked so different back then. If she was in Jeff's position, she'd want to get rid of that knife as soon as possible, not keep it as a weapon of choice. But then again, it had made him who he is. It reminded him of who he used to be. Everyone was different, she figured, and she knew that he wasn't right in the head. Yet if he had wanted to kill her back there then he would have done so. Obviously, he just had a sick enjoyment on causing fear.

Wanting to get off the subject, Trixie looked at the ground again, "Wh-what did the stories get right about you two?"

They seemed entertained by the question. Ben answered first, "My name, and that I drowned."

"And the haunted game?"

"Load of crap. After I died I went back home to find my grandpa selling off my stuff and figured, what the hell let's have a bit of fun. All I did was screw around with the system and the next thing I know I'm all over the internet." He rolled his eyes in bemusement, "I mean how the hell was I supposed to know the guy had severe paranoia?"

Trixie gave a small laugh, but it wasn't clear if he was attempting humour or telling the truth so she kept quiet. "I'm bored." Toby announced, "Can we all go now?"

"Isn't it dangerous going out without permission?" she asked.

"Sometimes." He nodded, "But it's more fun!"

Trixie looked away, "It didn't go so well last time…"

Rising back into the air Ben rolled his eyes, "You're in the wrong place to be dwelling on past mistakes, newbie, its times like this you suck it up and move on."

She looked at him with unease, "Is that your way of telling me to stop worrying and it's going to be okay?"

Looking somewhat deflated, Ben scowled and started drifting towards the open door, "I'm never going to tell anyone that when it might not true. But whatever floats your boat."

"So what'dya say? You coming with us?" Toby asked with hushed excitement.

Stay here and most likely never see the outside again, or go with these killers to freedom and pretend to search for a demon… When she put it like that, what else could she say, "Yeah, why not?"

**A/N:**

**So, Slender's number is up, but who is the killer? And will the group find anything, or just goof off like they planned? Depends if Shad finds out first… I'm looking forward to those reviews XD Let's see if we can get up to four on this one, lol XD**


	10. He's Coming

**A/N:**

**So the group made an escape when Shad's back was turned. I'm guessing that this doesn't go according to plan? Oh I forgot to mention, the song mentioned at the start of the last chapter is 'Blood' by My Chemical Romance. **

Shad rubbed his temples in thought. It had been a fair few hours since he'd been forced into given the brief reveal that Slender had left in search of the cause of such an anomaly in the humans. Of course Slender most likely already knew, and Shad agreed with him on that theory. But after seeing the drawing that the girl had left behind… an uneasiness that was already present in his mind was starting to swell uncomfortably. The drawing was with him now in the Informer. And he did not wish to look at it. What a way to see his mentor, his master… his friend; laying in contorted in a death that was not meant to be his. The creature that did this, or as the case may be, _will_ do this.

No, it would not be so. If he had anything to do with it, this premonition would not come true. After all, Trixie may see the deaths and draw them, but the sole reason they came true was because one of the others were sent out to complete them. Wasn't this the same thing? Well in theory demons and Proxies should be exempt form such visions. So what made this different? Shad adopted the notion that it was foul play at work, and Slender was playing right into it.

The deal that was made all those years ago still stood firm, so that means that something must have changed in order to trigger all of this. There was no doubting it. Shad hated to admit it, but he could not just wait around here and pretend that things were okay. If Slender was in danger, then it was his duty to do something to change that. Granted he'd also sworn duty to stand in Slender's place; but this seemed more important. Shad had been though a lot with that demon, and he planned to continue that. No matter how troubling or existence-threatening it may have and will be. But what he'd hated to admit the most, was that to carry out this task of finding his mentor… he was going to need help.

With that disturbing notion in mind, Shad started drifting through the corridors. He figured that the best person to start with would be Jack. After all he was the one who had mentioned the deal in the first place. He would be easy to convince before moving on to Alice as she'd already introduced her curiosity to the matter. Not wanting to be left out, the others would follow easily. Yet, as he searched for his peers, pushing himself through walls and knocking on bedroom doors before entering of his own means; he found no one. Not even the new girl.

"Oh…" he muttered, a state of such furiousness bubbling through him that he couldn't even speak. They'd disobeyed. Of course they did, what else were they going to do? Such arrogance. Such disrespect. Shad turned and stormed his way out towards the exit, "Oh, this is just… perfect…"

* * *

"Hey! Hey dude! Awesome Jeff the Killer cosplay!"

Jeff huffed and gave a dismissive wave at the passing teenagers, flipping them off the minute their backs were turned, "Cosplay my ass…"

Alice feigned a swoon, "Oh Jeff, tell me to Go To Sleep, Jeff! You're such a damaged soul, let me fix you, Jeff!"

He shoved her, "I hate the fucking internet."

"Don't blame the internet, blame the people who use it." Ben answered.

She smirked, "Like you?"

"Well I'm just a small factor. Someone's got to hack the news sites and cover your tracks."

That explained a lot, Trixie thought, like why the only thing about them that's in the media is just stories. And even then, as she found out earlier, not all were just fictional. She avoided all contact with Jeff, she felt both intimidated and angered at his presence and didn't want to act upon it. Jeff however, didn't seem to either care, or notice and continued to act as he would as if nothing had happened. In truth, he figured that he'd given his warning, job done.

"When are we going to look for Slendy?" Toby asked, hood down to reveal a mass of wild brown hair.

"Does it matter?" Jack asked, "We'll only end up back where we started anyway."

"No one asked you to come." Alice stated before turning to Toby, "We'll look for him later, okay?"

"I can't be alone…" he muttered after she'd already dismissed him by looking back to the others.

"How come?" Trixie asked gently.

He looked at her, expression unreadable, "I really hope you don't find out."

Considering the amount of things she already wished she didn't know, Trixie accepted this and left it there. It was late evening, the sun setting along the rooftops of the houses as the wondered down the streets, finally settling in an empty burnt-out playground that had clearly seen better days. They'd only been out in the open for just over an hour now. In truth, they were not used to just sitting around on the outside and doing nothing. Whenever the outside was with the intentions of completing a job, and then doing one thing for themselves before heading back. And it wasn't like they'd been able to sneak out in the past. Slender had been on perfect guard every time.

"Liven up, gents!" Ben called as perched atop the rusted monkey-bars, "And girls…"

"That's ironic coming from you." Trixie mumbled from the swing seat, but not quietly enough to not catch their attention.

"I mean cheer up and stop moping around like we're heading to the front line. We're out, right? Where's the fun?"

"It's somewhere else obviously." Alice stated from the other swing.

"Care to let us in on the secret?" Jeff snapped, leaning on the frame tiredly.

"Not really." She shrugged, "Honestly, I'm with Toby on this one."

"Awesome!" Toby grinned, dropping an arm down on her and Trixie's shoulders as he stood between the swings, "I got me a posse!"

Trixie winced, kind of wishing that she'd stayed behind but was too late now. Instead she just looked at the ground and tried to pretend she couldn't feel his bones cracking under his skin. Alice pinched the fabric of his glove and lifted it from her, promptly letting it fall to his side with a deadpan expression.

"You've got nothing." she ordered, "I'm just saying that we're missing the basic point here."

"Oh look, Alice is getting philosophical…" Jeff mocked.

"I'd point out that Jeff is being an imbecile but that's no big news." She quipped, "But I'm serious. We're coming across people with severe Sickness, Slender's gone and is showing up in Passive works, and now there's a deal with something that might be causing all of this? It doesn't add up and no one seems to care."

"I care." Toby muttered, crossing his arms and staring out along the street.

"I get that, but why do _you_?" Ben asked Alice, "Doesn't no Slender mean no stopping you from getting out?"

"No Slender means whatever he's dealing with takes over. I'd rather not be controlled by something like that and I'm pretty sure you'd all agree."

Ben's remained silent after that one, hands gripping the metal bars of his perch. Trixie let out a slow breath and thought about this theory. She barely saw Slender when he was around, but at least the times she had spoken to him her civilised and there was even a hint of gentleness. What would life be like if something just as powerful and from what she'd seen and heard, just as ruthless.

"So how to we find him, I'm guessing he's not the easiest to look for." She asked, refusing to let herself feel intimidated by the quizzical looks around her.

Ben looked like he was about to answer when something caught his eye, and what looked like a smirk and a cautious countenance spread on his face, "Ah, good evening, Shad, nice of you to finally join us."

The figure glided towards them with an air of calmness that seemed to chill the air around them. The Shadow Lurker's expression was unreadable, cloak swirling at the floor as he stopped before them. Trixie shrank into herself at the sight, having a sudden feeling of a child about to be scolded by a parent. Toby waved eccentrically, but still took a few steps to the side as if trying to hide behind Trixie where she sat at the swing. There was a long pause while someone waited for the tension to shatter. Ben, Alice and Jeff smiled wryly, silently challenging their substitute leader while he kept his face blank of all interpretation. Finally, Shad spoke. His voice scarily steady, not looking at anyone in particular.

"What do you think you're all doing out here when there's important work to be done?"

"A well deserved break, is all." Jeff answered, "You could use one yourself come to think of it."

"You infuriate me…" Shad forced.

He grinned, "I'm doing my job then."

"Have you no respect for those in charge? We may possibly be under threat and you do this?"

"We were going to look for Slender." Toby interjected, looking at the others for support, "Right?"

"And you think you can find him by wondering the streets? You should know better." Shad hated wasting words like this, he wanted to get to the point but he couldn't stop himself, "We're going to need more then simple searching to find him, if he even wants to be found. Yes, I'll admit that action needs to be taken but this is not how to go about it." He took a breath and traced his eyes over the group, noting their eagerness to hear more about what this action could be, but also amused by his outburst.

"Okay, Shad, don't get your nightmares in a twist." Ben eased mockingly, drifting to the ground, "What did you have in mind?"

"Not here. Home." He stated, hesitating for a moment, "Where's Jack?"

Trixie took this one, "He was just over there." She trailed off after she realised that the boy was in fact not on the bench where they'd last seen him, "Was."

-x-

Jack had listened to enough. He'd left the moment they started discussing Slender. It was hopeless and he knew that, there was no point in going on about it. Of course, leaving meant being alone. And being alone meant that… But it had already happened. Jack felt the black rush from his blackened eye-sockets and a burning rage inside him that merged with a hunger within. Anyone would do. He had to satisfy this. Anyone. Please, is there anyone?

Yes. One person. Just someone wondering alone. Perfect. He'd show them all. He'd teach them a lesson for doing this to him. Revenge for the torment he was put through. Why shouldn't he do the same to them what they did to him? So angry… So hungry… The stranger was on the ground before he even saw the hooded boy coming. Jack snarled and realised that he didn't have anything good enough to cut with. Ignoring the man's pleas of mercy, Jack searched him found a set of house-keys. Perfect.

He drove the metal tip into the strangers skin, jaggedly tearing it out only to plunge once more. Blood warmed Jack's hands as the dotted punctures melded into a gash. It was messier than he was used to but at this point he didn't care. He curved his fingers into the wound and tugged, feeling the flesh peel from the muscle. Jack forced a free hand over the man's mouth to muffle the screams of agony. Don't scream, he thought, it's so loud, I'm only doing what you did to me… So hungry… The abdomen was a marred mess of muscle and tissue, Jack continuing to gouge at the pooling opening. But something made him pause. The stranger's eyes had changed, so a shadowed black, and fiery scarlet…

"Jack! Enough!"

Jack felt something yank him backwards onto his back. He could sense the others around him, Toby the closest and pulling him away. Still induced in rage, he swing his arms wildly, the damp keys skill in hand and jaggedly slicing down Toby's arm, ripping the fabric of his clothes and into his skin. Trixie looked on at the sight and froze, bile rising to the back of her throat at the blooded mess of the victim and the animalistic snarls of one she'd known to be so timid and quiet. He was as insane as the rest of them…

And then her eyes set on the victims, the inhuman colours jarring her, "He's one of them." She rasped, trying not to vomit.

"Out of the way." Jeff demanded, steering her back a few steps and leering over the guy, "What are you?"

"Speak!" Alice cried threateningly, placing a boot on the man's chest and pressing down hard, causing his already rapid breathing to struggle further.

"He comes…" It breathed, a cruel laughter to the tone that made the hairs on Trixie's neck stand erect.

"Who does?" Ben demanded.

"He comes to reclaim his servants, his followers…" It forced, ruby pupils darting from Shad, to Ben and around the others, "He comes for all…"

"Who?" Shad yelled, taking the others by surprise and exchanging uneasy looks.

"The one who waits behind the wall…" It cackled, "Behind the walls and he's waiting… He comes… He comes for all in the end… Your end is near… He comes…"

It died laughing right there in the street. Trixie didn't understand, and she wasn't alone. Nobody had anything to say just yet. They had to get out of there before anyone arrived, for the noise that had been made was definitely going to attract attention. And what do people do when they're in need of escape? They go home. Jack was put into quarantine in order to regain his senses. Even behind the door his strangled cries of desperation could be heard. Alice had explained to Trixie that Jack was a special case, if he didn't have someone of trust near, then there was no telling what he could do. His past was a mystery, but it cut deep. And he had to get it out of his system before senses could be reached.

Now, the remaining of the group stood in the common room, all eyes on Shad. Finally, Ben took it upon himself to break the tension, or rather, add to it, "I think you'd better start talking, Shad. I think at least I had a right to know that _he_ was involved in this."

"We didn't know for sure." Shad stated.

"Uh, how about including the rest of us on this little inside joke?" Jeff asked sardonically, "And don't give us that crap about Proxie's not being involved."

Shad gave an exasperated sigh before swallowing his pride, "Slender thought that the one behind this could be Zalgo."

This had mixed reactions. To had and Ben, there were looks of anger. Jeff and Alice remained confused along with Trixie, and Toby momentarily held a look of fear. Trixie shifted anxiously, "Who's Zalgo?"

"The see all and know all; some call him He Who Waits Behind the Wall." Shad answered grudgingly, "He's a demon, a powerful one that originally had control here."

"I thought that was Slender?"

"No, Zalgo's his boss. They had a bet like a million years ago and Slendy lost." Toby muttered.

"You mean a deal?" Alice asked, "What was it?"

"I don't know exact details." Shad admitted, "But basically speaking, Slender delivers the damned to him; but I'm unaware of what's given in return. I wasn't technically there when the bargain was made."

"And they call you the Observer? Jeez you're crap at this!" Jeff groaned.

"I do my job." Shad snarled, "And I'm trying to continue it. If Zalgo is behind this, then it won't be long before this gets worse. So I'm going to look into this, I suggest you do the same."

Before they could argue Shad pressed himself against the wall, vanishing amongst the cracks. Ben narrowed his eyes. As a different species of spirit, he couldn't follow in the same way. But he'd be more damned then he already was if he was just going to ignore this. He had a right to know more, more than anyone in fact. But that was another matter. He was not going to let this lie. Giving a knowing look to Jeff, he left the room through the doorway in hopes of finding out where Shad had gone. Jeff, curiosity peeked as well as irritation, trudged on after.

He was sick of this. They all were. As far as Trixie could make out, Shad and Ben were more involved with this than they were letting on, Toby too possibly. That left her in the same position as Jeff and Alice, something she was not too happy about. So, if Slender gives out jobs to kill, and then hands over the souls, does that mean that this Zalgo leaves them alone? But why was he such a threat anyway? It didn't make sense. And if Shad wasn't there when the deal was made, then it really could be anything.

"Well this has been a fun and enlightening day." Alice said sarcastically.

Trixie shrugged, "If you say so."

Alice removed her sweater, and as she did her cami beneath it hitched up to reveal her bare back and stomach. Trixie was about to look away out of politeness, but something caught her eye that made her breath catch in her throat. Alice broke free of her clothing and eyed her questioningly, looking down to follow the gaze. All across Alice's left side, spreading along her back in jagged patterns, were scars of pale raised flesh. One stood prominent to the right of her belly-button, and one lined diagonally just under her ribs. Alice gave a reminiscing smirk and lowered her top to once again hide the damage. She started sniggering at her observer.

"For gods sake, just ask."

Trixie lowered her eyes, but compelled to obey, "H-how did you get them?"

"I collected most of them on jobs. Most people don't tend to give up their lives easy, you know." She added sarcastically, "And one or two are from practice. But this one," her voice became softer as she lifted her hair to reveal a thick, paled strip along her shoulder, "This is personal."

The way she said it seemed to instantly put an end to the matter and Trixie felt too intimidated to press it further. Instead, she wrapped her arms around herself and took a breath, "Did they hurt?"

"Like a motherfucker on crack. But it comes with the position so you get used to it. Hell I don't think I've felt real pain since… Well not for a long time anyways."

She didn't like the sound of getting used to pain, "Does everyone end up with scars?"

Alice gave her a condescending scoff and walked towards the doorway, "Kid you wouldn't even have joined us today if you didn't have some scars already."

**A/N:**

**Alice has a point there. So for those of you who guessed Zalgo was involved in this, yay for you and your Creepypasta readings! XD**


	11. An Offer

**A/N:**

**Sorry for the long wait guys! Thing's have been manic, lol XD**

Trixie thought about what Alice had said for a moment. _You wouldn't have even joined us today if you didn't have some scars already_. At any other time, she would have dismissed that and continued to believe herself sane. But at the end of the day, she'd agreed to be part of their life, she'd accepted what they were and what they did, and she had gone with them that night when she had the option to stay. So yeah, maybe she was starting to sink to their level. In a way, she was fine with that. It just meant less fear later, right?

"Knock knock!"

Her thoughts were interrupted by a rough rapping on her head; jolting nervously as she found that she was left in the room alone with Toby. Needless to say, he wasn't her favourite person right now and she felt that if she was going to regain any sanity in this place, she may as well start by getting a backbone and showing it. "What?" she asked, narrowing her eyes.

"You spaced out. Were you thinking?"

"I was." She stated, making her way towards the door.

"What about?"

"Stuff."

"I do that too." He grinned, "Staring into space helps a lot sometimes."

The only reason she stopped was because she felt something sticky in her hair. She reached up and grimaced as she found the congealing scarlet liquid that had rubbed off from Toby's wound when he touched her. She remembered how Jack had taken a swipe at him with a pair of house keys, slicing jaggedly down the muzzled boy's arm. It looked pretty bad through the tear in his sleeve, but Trixie didn't want to show pity. Instead, she grudgingly, rubbed the red from her fingers and turned to give her company a sceptical glare.

"Doesn't that hurt?" she asked, pointing to his arm.

"Huh? Oh! Nope." He shook his head, quivering a little with the relief the cracking of his neck brought him, "I don't feel a thing. See?"

To prove his point, he removed a glove and started pressing his nails into the jagged wound and chipped away the crusted blood, a thin trickle of red dampening his clothes. Yet, he continued to keep a contented countenance. Maybe that's why Toby was so heavy handed and rough when touching others; he couldn't feel anything to judge the contact. No pain registered in his mind, in fact he wanted to add more pressure just to be sure that something was happening. All he could feel, was the relaxing rhythm oh his own heartbeat. The only thing that let him know he was still alive.

"I don't think you should do that anymore." Trixie said suddenly reached out and tugging his hand away, "I get the point."

"Yeah I've been told it's a bad idea." He admitted while replacing the glove, "Kind of like Shad said it's a bad idea to lock Alice and Jeff in a room together."

At that, Trixie had to smirk, "They'd either rip each others throats out or start going at it."

"Going at what?"

"Never mind." She insisted, "Pretend I didn't say anything."

"Okay!" he grinned, "Oh, I was thinking, I want to see you draw something again."

"Why?" she snapped defensively.

For a split second, she noticed him deflate, "Maybe you could draw Slendy again… and we'd know where he is…"

That made her judgment cease for a second or two. It was like talking to a lost child who just wanted to get back home. She knew that feeling very well. Still did. "You… You really worry about him, don't you. If it's okay to ask, why?"

"Because he found me when I was in trouble, I want to do that same for him."

"Trouble?"

"Yeah, I'm in that a lot." He laughed, perking up but missing the subject that Trixie was hinting at, "So… can you draw again?"

"Oh…" feeling deflated, she thought that she may as well give in to his child-like nature this time, no matter how morbid, "Sure, maybe, easy."

"Is it easy?"

"Uncomfortably." She muttered, trying to explain it in the most basic of terms without mentioning the chilled gloom that gripped her with every picture, "I just get the image of a person and sometimes a place in my mind and pick up a pencil; put the two together and what do you get?"

Although fully aware of the answer, he nudged her to show he was joking with his reply, "A number?"

It took a millisecond after Trixie started chuckling to suddenly pause, a cruel memory flickering by her... _And you carry the one and what do you get?... A number? … Well you're not all wrong…_It was such a small, insignificant thing to do, helping a sibling with homework. It would have gone unnoticed if it hadn't been the last. Why, she wondered, why couldn't she go back and make that last thing something more important? Something worthy of being a final moment before being forcefully separated.

She swallowed thickly and looked up at Toby's waiting glance. Trixie instantly lowered her eyes. He reminded her too much of her brother. The same innocent yet cocky attitude, the almost deliberate dismissal of any insult. It disturbed her. Why did this person, this _murderer_ remind her so much of the one he took from her? It wasn't fair.

"Still there?" he asked, making her jump as he rapped his knuckles on her head for a second time.

Ordering herself to make as much eye contract as she could through his goggles, she nodded, "I uh… I'm just feeling a bit tired. I think I'm going to head to bed early tonight."

"Oh, well okay then. G'night!" he started suddenly, "So I can watch you draw soon, right?"

"Yeah," she replied quietly, forcing a smile for his sake, "Tomorrow."

* * *

As promised, Trixie was sat the next day in the common room with the others. Toby sat beside her and staring intently while Shad loomed nearby, keeping an eye out for anything that could be of use. As she drew, Trixie couldn't help but analyse her position with each of them. When talking to Shad, she felt like she was talking to a teacher. He just had this calm authority but he didn't patronize her with it. And for that she was grateful. But the case was totally different when she looked at someone like Ben. He was more knowledgeable than her about the situation she found herself in and they both knew it, it just seemed that Ben took pleasure in flaunting it at her. Yet he was amusing about it and he didn't seem as threatening. Alice was difficult, everything about her was threatening. Yet she was the nearest thing to human around here and Trixie couldn't help but look at her with some kind of respect in her confidence and authority. Especially over Jeff who Trixie still felt a surge of both rage and fear when she saw him. There was nothing else there, he hadn't given her any reason to think otherwise. He just enjoyed her suffering and she hated him for it. A feeling she assumed would remain with Toby, and yet that had somewhat dwindled away when she noted how childlike he was mentally. He didn't understand what it was he was doing it seemed, he just wanted approval that he was never going to get. As for Jack, she had no clue. He hadn't been seen that day, still in quarantine apparently…

"Finished up there?" Alice asked.

"Nearly." Trixie answered, "But I can't guarantee that it'll be Slender."

"Does it matter?" Jeff shrugged, throwing his knife across the room and smirking as it lodged into the wall and travelling to pick it out and repeat the process, "Chances are the next job we get will be Sicknessed up anyway."

"Sicknessed up?" Ben stated simply, "That's what we're calling it now?"

"It's Jeff," Alice shrugged, "You're going to have to give his mind time to wake up before he can actually _think_."

"Fuck you." Jeff huffed.

"No matter how many times you say that, it's not going to happen, Jeffy-boy."

Ben cocked an eyebrow, "Give it time…"

"What?" both Jeff and Alice demanded, turning to scowl at him.

He flashed a mischievous grin before hovering over to the others, "So, Trixie, how's the sketching coming along?"

"Pretty much done, I guess." Trixie answered, hiding a smirk and turning to Shad, "It's not Slender…. But this one has the eyes again if that helps at all."

Shad gazed at the work, taking in every detail. A stranger this time, the eyes scribbled black, "I see. This one isn't far from here, I'll leave tonight."

Toby snapped his neck upwards eagerly, "We're going out again, awesome!"

"Yeah because our last field-trip went so well last time…" Ben quipped.

"And whose fault was that?" Shad asked coolly, "I'm positive that I gave the instructions to stay here."

"Details-details." Jeff dismissed.

Toby shrugged, "Well I think it went well. I mean we got something out of it when Jack found that guy."

Trixie shuddered at the memory, "I wouldn't call that well…"

"No one would." Shad agreed, "But my point stands, this will need to be taken care of. I'll see to it and inform you later."

"Hold it!" Alice jumped up, "Care to give a reason why you're going alone?"

"If you insist." He sighed, straightening up and taking the sketch with him as he started to push himself through the wall and out of sight, "I don't trust an of you."

Trixie watched him leave and couldn't help the half-smile on her face. She appreciated the bluntness and frankly she didn't blame him for not trusting these people. And by the way Ben shrugged passively, he agreed. Toby tilted his head curiously as if he was expecting Shad to return but was quickly distracted by picking up Trixie's pencil and trying a hand at drawing himself.

"Can you believe him?" Alice hissed.

"I don't know, I think we've had enough fun for one weekend." Ben muttered, "Demons, abductions and death."

"Oh my!" Toby snickered.

"Are you kidding me?" Jeff scoffed, "That was nothing!"

The spectre rolled his eyes, "Well excuse me, but being dead and all, I don't fancy spending my time watching random tramps snuff it."

"Why? It's not like they stick around like you do or anything." Toby shrugged, snapping his neck audibly to the left to get a better angle of his work.

"Thanks for that, Tobes…"

"Prude." Jeff snickered, swinging his arm down again, releasing the blade and allowing it to fly through the air. This time however, instead of having it dent into the wall like before, the handle hit it at an angle and clattered to the floor. He huffed and ignored the snickers from Alice, taking a step to pick up his weapon, but found that someone beat him to it.

Trixie had seen the thing on the floor and out of instinct, picked it up to hand it back to its owner. But the moment she did, she regretted it. The familiar rage in Jeff's eyes made her freeze. He was coming towards her. His fingers flexed in eagerness to lash out at her. She prepared herself, grimacing in fear. He glowered over at her.

"What did I tell you would happen if you ever touched that again?" he snarled, unaware of the audience around him. Trixie was about to drop the weapon, or apologise again. But instead, what came out was a murmur that he couldn't make out, "Say that again!"

"J-just sh-sh-"

"Speak!"

"I was just handing it to you!" she yelled suddenly, surprised at her own volume. Her hands thrust out and shoved the knife's handle into his hand forcefully, her eyes narrowing, "It's called helping out so do us all a favour and shut the fuck up!"

There was a moment of heavy silence where Trixie thought that maybe she should have kept her mouth shut. Jeff arched an eyebrow as if challenging her to say that again, but once again he found that something had interrupted him. Alice snorted loudly, letting out a cackle, cheeks rosy from the laughter and giving a condescending clap of her hands more to irritate Jeff. Toby's shoulders shuddered from sniggering but he didn't look up from his artwork.

Trixie stumbled forward as she felt Ben clap her on the shoulder, "Shit, I think that's the first time I've heard newbie swear!"

"And I agree one-hundred percent," Alice gasped, "Jeff, you need to shut it more often."

"Why don't you?" he snapped, turning back to Trixie with a look of warning, "And you, you're not impressing anyone talking to me like that!"

With this sudden burst of anger, or stupidity, she wasn't sure; she copied his stance, "I'm not trying to impress anyone."

"Then how about cutting the crap or -"

"Or what? You're going to finish the job?" she demanded bitterly, holding her arms out a fraction, "Take your best shot."

For a moment, he looked like he was going to do it. In fact, it was obvious to everyone that he wanted to by the way his fingers clenched around the handle. A glazed look came over his eyes as the familiar surge of adrenaline hissed inside him, but he drowned it out. He was not on a job. This was not worth losing his consciousness over. Instead, he swallowed his outburst and forced a confident sneer, "You're lucky it's against the rules to kill another Proxy." He sniggered, pocketing the knife and leaving the room in order to return it to its place on the shelf.

The minute he left, Trixie felt a sudden rush of satisfaction. But she didn't wish to waste her time gloating in it, not in the company she was in anyway. Instead, Trixie turned her back and returned to sketching. It helped take her mind off things, even if it was something that disturbed her greatly.

"Another one lined up already?" Ben asked sardonically, "Someone's having a productive day."

Trixie rolled her eyes, "Aren't I just…"

* * *

"Show yourself!"

Shad had lost all patience. He'd been looming in the shadows, watching his target for long enough. And now he stood with his pale hands clamped around the throat of a young man. At first the victim had struggled. The natural responses following soon after; threats, attempt as defence, begging for mercy, and now this. Whimpering in the acceptance of death. Shad waited, his nails digging into the man's skin. It wouldn't be long now…

And in time, the victims form became rigid and tense, shuddering as his eyes clenched tight. Shad could feel the burning agony that pulsated under the skin. He didn't even flinch when those horribly familiar eyes tore open and glared at him with the utmost hated. But despite that, there was no mistaking the traces of amusement within the scarlet flamed pupils. Instead, he only tightened his grip a little more, eyes cold in hatred. It wasn't human anymore. Possession. This matter had to be treated delicately.

"Well, well, don't you have a nasty habit of showing up." It growled, a light chuckle to its tone.

"You haven't exactly been subtle, now have you?" Shad returned, "Do you care to tell me why?"

It was different this time. This wasn't just some burst of Sickness insanity, this was true possession. This was _him_…. That mocking, hollow voice did not belong to the body, and it was certainly untouched by the vice-grip around its throat, "Such a loyal little pet to the dear Slenderman, aren't you? Or are you still under the impression that you're an equal?"

"Where is he, Zalgo?"

"Oh but he's right here with me. You make that sound like a bad thing."

"Stop wasting my time."

The dead, inhuman eyes blinked slowly, "If anyone is wasting time, it's you. You see I'm using time very efficiently. As you can see." It smirked and glanced down at the borrowed body momentarily.

"It's against the agreement for you or any other of our kind to spread the Sickness and note follow proper procedure afterwards."

"Do not associate yourself with the likes of me. And you don't need to remind me of the agreement, I was the first to sign it."

"So why be the first to break it?"

"Because it's fun. And good practice."

"For what exactly?"

"Ah now that would be telling…"

"I wouldn't ask it I didn't want you to tell me. Now I refuse to play your games anymore." Shad insisted, refusing to loosen grip.

"Who's playing? But, if you're that interested to know, I guess I can take you to your precious master and you can ask him yourself what's going on. He knows _all _about it, considering he approved it."

The very idea that the Slender he knew approving of the chaos this creature was creating was sickening, "You're lying."

"Like you said, you can ask him yourself…"

Shad narrowed his eyes. This had to be some sort of trick, "At what cost?"

Demons always asked for a price for any favour. And in the majority of cases a greed or desperation driven mortal would willingly pay it. But when the case fell between two demons, the stakes rose a little higher.

"Give me… your name."

Shad retracted his hand as if something had sunk its teeth through his skin, "How dare you!"

"Don't toy with me, Zalgo. You may be known as The Observer, The _Shadow_ Lurker… but we both know those are just story-book titles. Give me your full name, and the pet shall see its master once more."

There's much to be had in a name. A memory, a label… a leash. "You know better than to ask that of me!"

"I think we can both agree that me and the rules have not been the best of friends as of late." It smirked, "I take it you're not interested… Pity. But I'm feeling generous today so I'll make the offer a second time… should we meet again."

"Don't waste your breath."

"I'm not wasting anything." It snickered, the black and inflamed eyes starting to extinguish as the possession faded, "Unlike some…"

The darkness faded from the victims eyes, the body became heavy and it slumped against the wall for support. Shad glowered in hatred and dejection. He was gone. Zalgo was gone and he had barely gotten anything out of him. It was a waste of trip, a waste of time and a waste of energy. Shad was, as some humans would call it, a man of the military. If he was going to do something, it must have a point and be done as such. This little endeavour… was only half complete.

"Wh-what… happened…?"

Shad glanced to the side as the resurrected stranger who seemed to be struggling for air. This would have to be taken care of. The Sickness was within him, there was no doubt about that. But was he someone on the lists back with the others? He couldn't recall. The human hadn't seen him yet, too occupied with trying to shake away the dizziness. It would be so easy, just to kill him there and then. One simple movement. No, he couldn't. He didn't know this one's story. And besides, Passive, he told himself, I'm a Passive and I don't kill anymore…

"Unless," He added allowed as his hands clamped around the poor mortals neck and cracked it swiftly to the left, allowing the lifeless shell to slump to the ground, "…it's part of the required procedure."

* * *

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Jeff demanded, "You had him right there are you didn't kill him?"

Shad looked at him calmly after telling the events to the others upon his return, although choosing to leave out certain details such as the offer and the kill, "It wasn't _him_, Jeff, it was a possession, what was the sense in killing the only link of communication with getting some answers?"

"And what answers did you get exactly?" Alice asked, "That Zalgo is involved and Slender's with him? Wow, it's not like we didn't know that already."

"But Slender working _with_ the big guy, now that's a twist." Ben smirked.

"It's not true." Toby scoffed, waved a hand passively, "Zalgo's a liar."

Trixie looked at the ground, not really in a position to make a judgement on this. From what she could gather, Zalgo was the be all and end all. And if Slender was with him, willingly or not, then trouble was bound to be close by. She couldn't help but admire the trust that Toby had in his mentor, and apparently he wasn't alone on that notion either.

"Slender is not working with Zalgo." Shad said pointedly, "And I don't want to hear that idea again. Understand? Now I want all of you to grab your things, we're going to see Rochelle."

"Who's Rochelle?" Trixie asked.

"Slender's old flame…" Ben winked.

"She's a proxy from another demon group who just happened to be branded by Slender." Alice clarified, "She's one of the best tracker's out there."

"There're more of you?"

"Don't sound too surprised, it's a big world filled with a lot of people."

As disturbing as that fact was, she quickly brushed it aside as the conversation continued. Jeff arched an eyebrow at the cloaked figure sceptically, "And what do you mean _we_ are going? Last I heard, you didn't trust us remember?"

Not wanting to admit that he needed help, and also that if he did come across Zalgo and face that offer again, he would need someone to stop him from accepting it, Shad looked at them challengingly, "I thought that you wanted to get out of here?"

Jeff shrugged, "Well we're not denying that-"

"Then enough arguing." Shad interrupted curtly, "We leave in an hour."

**A/N:**

**More on Rochelle later (she's not an OC technically, she's part of a creepypasta story which I shall give the name of at the start of next chapter!)**


	12. White in Red

**A/N:**

**If any of you have read/listened to the Creepypasta story 'White with Red', then that is where Rochelle comes from, she never had a name in the story so I'm giving her one XD Take a look, it's really good!**

Trixie didn't really have many things that would be acceptable for her to gather, so instead she shrugged on her old purple jacket and shoved a small note-pad and pencil in her pocket just in case. She wasn't sure if she was going to need them, but better safe than sorry, she figured. And sorry was something that she couldn't afford to be in a place like this. Feeling that there was nothing else that could be done to prepare, she made her way to the Informer and knocked before entering.

Shad didn't bother turning his head at the sudden company, instead he continued looking at the scattered papers surrounding a blank computer screen, "Can I help you, Beatrix?"

"Trixie." She corrected, "I was just wondering if I wait in here until we go."

"Your own room is not satisfactory?"

"I think Widemouth is under my bed again…" she admitted.

"Understandable." He stated, indicating to a chair in the corner which she gratefully took, "He should be with his own Proxies instead of feeding off of us."

"Who's group does Rochelle belong to?"

"Rake's. She's a Passive, but a strong one at that. That's why Slender chose her to brand, too bad her loyalties did not last… Let's leave it at that. But she's still of use to us"

You could change groups? Trixie was unsure if she liked the sound of that. But then again, she didn't like Rake either. He wasn't like Smile. With Smile, there was the expected animalistic nature that was easily tamed with trust and time. Rake was… vicious. And he enjoyed it.

"How can she help? Does she draw scenes too or…?"

"No, but she has a very good knack for tracking down lost souls, a little more extreme than you perhaps."

"I'm not complaining."

"You don't like your ability?"

"I guess I'm not a fan of seeing dead people."

"Ben and I must offend you greatly."

She sensed a hint of good natured sarcasm in that, "You know what I mean. But… why drawings? I mean, it came out of nowhere."

"Everyone has their reasons for their… talents."

"Why do you think mine's putting murders into drawing? You had no problem finding people before this. For the most part anyway." She added with a hint of bitterness.

"Maybe that's your answer. You know that what happened that night was a mistake."

"So I give them faces to search for so it doesn't happen again?" she finished, nodding slightly, "I guess that makes sense. There's a lot of psychology behind this Sickness thing, huh?"

"You have no idea."

It was still a little too much to wrap her mind around. But she figured that was all the explanation she was going to get. She wondered about Shad and how mastering the shadows became part of his life, but felt that it was a touchy subject. And the way he'd been so preoccupied lately, she didn't want to add any more stress. Instead, she just waited patiently for the others to arrive. It didn't take long, and she was a little relived to see that their definition of 'gathering their things' was also as light as hers was.

She was surprised to see that Jack had also joined them. He was hunched over as if in pain, and the black that leaked from his empty eyes made him look all the more mournful. He didn't say anything, but kept very close to Alice as if she was supporting him somehow. Trixie wasn't sure if it was a good idea to bring him along after last time, but it wasn't her choice. So she didn't question it. Instead, she stood up with the others, and just accepted that she didn't have a clue what was going to happen next, but was there really much harm in finding out?

* * *

"Take a look and see if she's in." Jeff ordered, nodding at the keyhole.

"Why me?" Trixie asked.

She didn't want to be arguing in the middle of a corridor in a hotel that looked ready to collapse with a person she couldn't stand the sight of in front of people who treated the exchange like a comedy skit. Yet here she was. Apparently this Rochelle person lived here in the hotel, which in fairness hadn't taken all that long to arrive at. But that didn't mean it was somewhere that any of them wanted to stay for long.

"Because you're the newbie. Now take a look." He said, giving her head a shove.

She narrowed her eyes warningly before crouching down to peer through the tiny gap. She couldn't see much, just a small corner of the damp and incredibly dusty room. A cold breeze whistled through the metal, stinging her eyes. A small movement caught her attention. There, just in the corner of the room and almost out of sight, was a woman. A tall and elegant woman with inhumanly pale skin and a long cascade of platinum hair. She was beautiful, there was no denying that. She looked like she was perched at the edge of a bed, brushing her hair delicately and slowly. But that image was shattered as her neck snapped to the side, glaring at the door and right at Trixie, eyes burning.

Trixie felt embarrassed for being caught out and looked away, "Yeah, she's there."

Alice nodded, "Look again."

Not bothering to hide the irritated scowl, she once again lined her eyes with the keyhole and tried to focus again. But the room had vanished, as had the woman. Now, all she saw was a vast scarlet emptiness. Red plastic, maybe, Trixie wondered, "She's covered it up, it's just red."

"That's not a cover up, that's her staring right back at you." Ben stated wryly as Trixie jumped back.

Jeff hammered his fist on the door, "Bonjour ma'Shelly!"

A mournful voice heavily coated in a French accent replied, "I've no time for childish games, Jeffery, leave."

Alice arched an eyebrow, "Wow, Jeff, you're a regular ladies man."

Toby pushed past him and peeked through the keyhole, "Rochelle!" he called eagerly, "Rochelle, how's it going in there?"

Ben nudged Trixie and muttered secretively, "Same as always I'll bet; the room's hexed so no proxy can get in or out."

In or out? So this room was like a prison. That was actually really sad, Trixie thought, as much as she didn't exactly like the idea of being stuck in the building with the others for who knows how long, but at least she had the option to leave her room and wonder around a little. The thought of being enclosed in one room forever and not even having the option of visitors was enough to make her feel ill. She didn't say anything, but she was starting to feel sceptical at how they were going to get help from this Proxy if there was no way to even get into the same room as her.

The accented voice sounded irritated, "Leave me be."

Shad drifted forward and rested a hand on the brittle doorway, voice calm and almost comforting, "Rochelle, we need your assistance. I'm afraid that something has happened to Slender, and I know that history's reputation exceeds itself but this is of the utmost importance an-"

"I have nothing to do with Slender anymore. Take your business elsewhere."

Jeff hammered his fist against the door, "Come on, Shelly, you can do better than that!"

"Sure, because that's going to help matters." Alice scowled.

"Oh didn't you know Jeff has a natural touch for these things, real delicate like." Ben sniggered.

"Quiet." Shad ordered, "I cannot hear myself think!"

"We're not that loud." Toby insisted.

"Says you!"

"Shut up Jeff!"

"Fuck you!"

The verbal battle continued, leaving Trixie leaning against the wall and growing steadily more fearful. Shad's usually calm countenance was starting to crack. Obviously this discussion was meant to be delicate and was now shattering before their eyes. She looked from one person to the other. The scornful glares of Alice and Jeff, the sly quirk of Ben's smile, the bemused glee in Toby's expression and even the sorrowful way Jack kept his gaze on the floor, willing to disappear. This was a waste of trip and they all knew it.

No one was paying her any attention, which was how she liked it. Taking advantage of it, Trixie lowered herself down and stared through the keyhole once more. There was still the piercing glare of a scarlet iris staring back at her. It was incredibly intimidating, even with the knowledge that there was no way any threats could be carried out with this supposes barrier that neither of them could pass through. In a way that made it worse. The fact that the spirit was isolated in such a way gave her the air of something to be feared. Something that deserved such a fate.

"Um, hi…" Trixie offered, "I'm Trixie."

"Another of that backstabber's toys, I presume?" the accented reply came.

"I guess." She shrugged, "And you used to be, or something like that?"

"Oui, unfortunately. If you ask me, whatever has happened to Slender, it's better for you all. Now take your business elsewhere."

"If it's alright to ask, how come you hate Slender so much?"

The eye hardened in distaste, "I don't hate, I resent. He did this to me, you know, said that I was far too… _eager_ in my work."

"What does that mean?"

"Passive's aren't designed to kill, now are they?" Rochelle asked darkly. Trixie gulped silently. Passive's aren't meant to kill. So Rochelle was put here so that she could stick to her status? A punishment in solitary confinement. Rochelle sighed, "I thought that changing my loyalties would free me; yet here I stay."

Trixie felt a pang of guilt. Sure, Rochelle had gone against a whole set of rules that Trixie couldn't even being to understand, but an eternity of being locked within four walls was just sickening, "I'm sorry."

"None of that. It's what I get for the choices I made."

She stole a glace at Ben who was still fuelling the fire between the killers before turning back, "You chose to be a proxy?"

"Oui…" Rochelle sighed dreamily, "But that was a long time ago."

"Why would anyone want this life? I don't understand it."

"You clearly have never been in love."

What did love have to do with any of this? Unless; no that couldn't be right, could it? "Slender?"

"I'm done talking. Take your business elsewhere." She ordered again, this time with more force, "I have nothing to do with him or any of his minions. I don't care."

"I'm not sure I do either." Trixie admitted, "I mean one minute I'm at home visiting family and the next… this! But, at the same time I'd still be in a hospital loosing my mind somewhere if I wasn't branded. I really don't understand it, but…" she huffed and looked desperately through the keyhole, "I don't expect you to help us, I'm not sure I would. But apparently it's a choice between Slender and this… Zalgo person. And from what I've seen, I know which I'd rather have around."

The door gave a sudden jolt, a thunderous slam of angered fists slamming against it from the inside. Trixie toppled backwards onto her rear in surprise and listened timidly at the raged snarls from the captive. This instantly caught the attention of the others, most staring down at her in bemusement, Shad and Jack looking at the door questioningly. Finally, the enraged spectre calmed and the hallway fell silent once more.

"I think she likes you." Toby grinned, hoisting Trixie to her feet.

"Rochelle." Shad called calmly.

"Why did you not tell me that Zalgo was involved in this?" she hissed.

"I was explaining myself." He stated, "But was interrupted. Does this change things?"

There was a long pause in which Jeff joked that she'd gone for a bathroom break, Ben disagreeing in saying that she was having a tantrum. Jack sighed heavily and pressed his hand against the door longingly, "To be in such peace as this, would be bliss."

Something was pushed beneath the woodwork, a sheet of paper which looked strangely thick. No, not paper, fabric. It was a pillowcase, black markings pressing into the white that spelled out words that looked almost alien in origin. Pictures, symbols… It was like looking at something from a book of omens that one sometimes came across in a cheap book store. Jack held it up for inspection, but not getting enough of a chance before it was snatched away by Jeff who simply raised an eyebrow at it in scoff.

"I want nothing to do with Slender for my reasons." Rochelle warned, "But Zalgo's crimes go much further than personal scorn. That is how you'll find Zalgo, that is all you will get from me. Do not bother me with Slender's concerns, I will not share them"

**A/N:**

**So, that was Rochelle. A regular little ray of sunshine, right? So, now they have a way to find Zalgo, which hopefully should lead them to Slender. What could possibly go wrong? God I sound like such a cheesy commercial… XD**


	13. Drowned Hope

**A/N:**

**Sorry it took so long to get this chapter up guys, things have been a bit of a mad rush lately. But here's the newest chapter and I hope you enjoy it. Thanks again for the comments! They're a great motivator XD**

"So what's your analysis, Doc?"

Shad momentarily looked up from his studies to glare at Jeff pointedly before lowering his eyes once more to the graffitied pillow case. Yes, as Jeff put it, he did have an 'analysis'. But it was not the one he was hoping to get. What he was hoping for, was what he asked for. A way to find Zalgo and have done with this madness. He'd made it clear. But instead Rochelle had given him this. A simple substitute written on fabric as her only way of passing on a message… And following that message, he'd set to work the moment they arrived home.

It was simple enough to arrange. With the right symbols and requirements, anything was simple. And now the room was filled with the aroma of moss and lilies, the symbol from the drawing now lain on the ground in a spice that could not be placed by sight and smell alone. Those near it felt a drowsiness that wasn't all that uncomfortable, in fact they enjoyed it. Although it came with traces of edginess, making the muscles beneath their eyes twitch as if trying to look over their shoulders in paranoia. It was as if particles of the Sickness hung in the invisible vapours around them.

"This won't work." Jack mumbled, "Nothing works here."

"So what's it do again?" Toby asked, reaching out to try and pinch some of the markings.

"Well it's supposed to tell us where the big-boss is." Alice stated, slapping his hand back, "But I'm guessing by the way Shad's scowling that's not what it actually does. It would help if he actually changed his expression once in a while."

"For your information, it _will_ show us where Zalgo is." Shad stated, "It will physically show us where he is."

"So Rochelle's giving us a way to teleport now?" Ben announced with a trace if sarcasm, "She's been doing her homework."

"Teleporting? How does Rochelle know so much about this kind of stuff?" Trixie asked Alice curiously, "If she's part of Rake's group and can't leave the hotel room I mean."

"Think of Rake as a… dog. Zalgo has a very tight leash on him, so Rake has to know this stuff so that he can see his master. And since Rochelle's room is isolated, it's good to use. Rochelle is just very good as eavesdropping."

"But you said no one can get in or out of there."

"No _proxy_ can get in or out." She clarified, "Rake is as demon as Slender."

"You can usually tell by the funny names." Toby nodded, "Demons don't like giving away their real names. Don't know why they use such random ones instead though."

Shad glanced over distastefully, "Are you quite finished?" Again, Trixie felt like a child being scolded by a teacher as he glowered at them, but swiftly regained his composure, "And it will not, as you so loosely put it, teleport. It will project."

"Thanks for the clarification." Jeff mused, "But you know, care to explain for the kids at home?"

"Spiritual projection." He sighed, "This will not tell us a location of Zalgo, it will send our mental state there instead."

Trixie tilted her head, "So? A vision kind of thing or…?" she deliberately left the question open, taking advantage of not being the only clueless one in the room.

"It means it will send you into a comatose state, separating your mind from your body. Much like the damned souls that we send away-"

"You mean kill." Jeff interjected sardonically.

"-you will be at the mercy of the beyond, only this time there will be the chance to come back."

"Oh happy days." Ben muttered.

Trixie furrowed her brow in thought. She understood that when they killed someone, it was someone who had committed unspeakable crimes and their damned soul was collected and sent away to Zalgo; so was that how this worked? Their soul would be taken. But does that mean death? Not if you have the option to come back, she guessed, but the idea still alluded her.

Jeff sneered, "So are we getting this started or what? Sounds like one hell of a trip."

"You don't understand." Shad snapped, "This is not what we planned."

"We had a plan?" Toby asked, giving Trixie a quizzical look to which she just shrugged in answer to pacify him.

Alice rolled her eyes at the shadowed figure, "So a girl screwed you over, it happens and you make do. Just ask Jeffy-boy."

"I'm serious, I am this close to stabbing you in the face!" he cried.

"Get a room, we don't want to see that." Ben quipped.

Before another word could be said, Shad had slammed his fist down on the table, the force spreading across the tabletop and echoing through the air. Silence engulfed it as the rage squirmed beneath Shad's expression as he struggled to constrict it. How dare they bicker like children when their leader lay at the mercy of an anomaly such as Zalgo? It was disrespectful and a disgrace. No this was not what he had planned but he would have to make do. And the sooner they realised this, the better. Not that he was pleased with the outcome, far from it, but something had to be done. And if this was it, then so be it.

"This is not what we planned. But we must make do. I do not care for your petty arguments much like I do not care for your dismissal of the situation at hand. You may not care for Slender, but just remember that without him to guide you, you'll wither like the souls you so mercilessly collect."

Not giving time for anyone to respond, Shad picked up a match and struck it against the side of the table, igniting it. He delicately released his fingers, allowing the lit wood to fall, landing dead centre of the symbol. Everyone instinctively took a step back as the ash cracked to life, drinking up the flames into steady embers at their feet.

"Someone just needs to stand in it and wait." Shad explained, "Since I'm the only one who actually gives a damn I vol-"

"I give plenty of damns." Toby pouted, "I'll go."

"Not a chance. You go." Alice ordered Ben, "Can't kill a dead guy and it's not like you've got a body to leave behind anyway."

"You don't say…" Ben rolled his eyes, peering a little closer at the flamed symbol, "Meh why not? As you've so graciously pointed out, I've got nothing to loose."

At that, Alice lowered her eyes in miniscule guilt but swiftly covered it up with an expectant scowl. All eyes were on the spectre as he chose to lower himself to stand on his own two feet. There was no fear in his blackened eyes, only confidence. After all, Alice had a point. He was dead, he hadn't felt or even thought about pain in years. It wasn't like some fire was going to do anything to him. He stepped into the centre of the symbol and tapped his fingers against his sides as if bored of waiting. All eyes were on him, Trixie finding hers wide with fear and curiosity. She wasn't sure what was going to happen. Alice had a point, Ben was a spirit himself, so would he just blink of out sight, or could he split himself further? She waited for the answers to come, there wasn't much else to do.

She watched nervously as the flames around his ankles crackled, darkening but by no means dampening. They rose a little higher, the smoke clawing upwards hungrily at Ben's frame and heading for his face. For the most part, he remained still and cocky. He huffed, the smog taking advantage of the opening and creeping past his lips. They all waited. But nothing happened. Trixie shivered, something wasn't right. She looked down at her hands and found that they were holding the pencil and notepad she'd pocketed earlier. Shakily and jaggedly, she was drawing. And she couldn't stop.

Ben exhaled slowly, "So is something supposed to happen here or-_No_!"

With every pencil stroke Trixie made, Ben became more and more ridged and stiff. His black eyes widened as the shades darkened further, the scarlet pupils becoming as heated as the flames below. Yet despite their desolace, there was no hiding the horror within them. His knees gave way, crumpling him to the ground as his body convulsed as if desperate to escape an unseen threat. Trixie gritted her teeth, struggling against herself, willing to stop the figure appearing on the page. But it was no use.

"Stop it." Alice hissed at her.

"I can't." she pleaded.

"I don't think this is meant to happen, do you?" Toby asked Shad anxiously.

Jeff knelt down and shook Ben's shoulder, "Come on, bud, snap out of it!"

The moment Jeff touched him, Ben jolted in blind panic, "No! No, no dad please! Dad I'm sorry! Don't-No! Stop, please! Dad!" Suddenly his skin started to hiss as if coated in static, water trickling from the corner of his mouth.

"…the fuck? Ben!" Alice yelled, dropping to assist Jeff in dragging him from the symbol.

"Please dad! I'm sorry!" More water flooded past his lips, his words gargled and strained.

Trixie whimpered in fear as her sketches became horrifically, "Stop me, please!"

She felt something clamp around her throat, gasping for air she found the cause was a black gloved hand belonging to Jack. His blank expression boring into her silently. She couldn't breath. From the corner of her eye she could see the others trying to awaken Ben, but having no success. Jack used his free hand to close around the notepad, the pencil jamming between his fingers. Trixie felt herself struggle to continue her work, but the restriction was too great. It was hurting her. She needed to finish it! But she couldn't bare to. In the blacked tears in his hollow eye-sockets, she could make out her reflection. A reflection she did not recognise as her own. For her once hazel eyes, were now as black and burned as the victims of past. The wood of the pencil grazed her skin as Jack forcefully yanked the items from her, tossing them to the ground. An urge to dive after them built inside her, but the lack of oxygen made her dizzy. Jack refused to release her, her neck pinned to the wall. Silently she thanked him, regardless of the pain and terror. She glanced over to Ben, but he'd made no progress.

Toby slapped Ben across the face harshly, but the boy continued to grunt in anxiety, "Come on, that normally works!"

"Come back, Ben." Shad ordered, "Come back now!"

Ben jolted, water spilling from his mouth as he gargled more apologies and pleas, eyes darting and unfocussed. Alice leant him forward, clapping him on the back to stop him choking, "What's happening to him?"

"Fuck knows," Jeff snapped, shaking his friend once more, "But it's not like he can die again so unless you want to live with this forever, do something!"

"Shad, you heard him!" Alice ordered.

"Oh I know!" Toby announced, cupping his hands and scooping up the spilled water, tossing it at the enflamed symbol.

As the water was soaked into the embers, the room was filled with smoke, hissing violently and giving off a putrid smell of Sickness. The shapes of the insignia dismembered at the waters touch, spreading along the floor. Trixie gagged at the smell and felt her itching in her fingers stop. She looked at them, now back completely under her control. Jack held her throat a second longer before stepping back, causing her to stumble.

The smog dispersed, draining Ben's convulsions along with it. He shuddered, then slumped limply to the floor between Alice and Jeff. They glanced at one another in angered unease. Alice jumped to her feet and pointed threateningly at Trixie, "What the fuck were you doing?"

"I-I couldn't stop it!" she insisted fearfully, "He just freaked out and… and something was controlling me. It wasn't me I swear!" She gasped and her hands flew to her face, "My eyes!" Using the blank screen of the computer she glared fearfully at herself. It was her; hazel eyes widened in panic, empty of all darkness that had once been, "I don't… It wasn't me."

Alice scooped up the notepad and studied the newfound art, teeth clenching in disgust, "What the fuck is this?"

Trixie stared in horror at the figures on the paper, scribbled so furiously that the paper had torn here and there. Seven figures lay stern about the page as the dark grey of the lead signified their life pooling about them. She recognised them, for they were the very people she shared a room with right here. Alice's corpse was slumped against a wall, the cards she had nestled in her pocket at present now indented into her skin grotesquely. Jack lay facing away from the audience, arm twisted unnaturally behind him and hoodie torn viciously. Jeff continued to stare back with his eyes wide and malicious, the wicked grin fixed into place; and his beloved blade embedded into his neck. Toby's mask made it look like he too was smiling, but the gashes in his body, shattered goggles and face here nothing smile-worthy. Shad and Ben who had been drawn in such detail, had been reduced to simple smudges on the paper as if attempted to have been wiped from existence. Finally, Trixie saw herself. But the claw-like slits in her face made it hard to tell if it was human at all, mouth twisted in mid-scream as blood stained her stomach and leg. One factor they all shared, was that their eyes had been scribbled black.

"I couldn't stop…" she breathed, tears spilling, "It wasn't me…"

"We were going to die anyway, all she did was show us how." Jack stated pointedly to Alice, "You know who made this happen, and he's not here."

At his sudden force, Alice stood down. Her fight was not with the messenger, it was with the sender. She looked back to Ben's frozen, comatose form and crouched down to him as Jeff was at his other side, "Ghosts don't sleep. How do we wake him?"

"Well I've tried all I know." Toby shrugged, earning himself a duel glare.

Shad narrowed his eyes studyingly, "He hasn't travelled over, so it's just a matter of waiting."

"You mean that big scene back there just meant that it didn't work?" Jeff growled, "Well what the fuck happens when it _does_ work?"

"I don't know, Jeff, would you care to volunteer?"

"Huh?" Ben groaned suddenly and making them jump. Blinking his eyes open groggily, he looked up at the conflicted gazes of the two killers above him. He smirked tiredly and wiped his mouth dry, "Jeez I close my eyes for five seconds and all of a sudden I'm dragged into a threesome." He sat up and jokingly pushed them away, "There's a little thing called _consent_, people, it's a wonderful thing…" At the lack of response, he arched an eyebrow curiously, "What?"

"What?" Jeff repeated, grabbing fistfuls of Ben's shirt and dragging him to his feet, "Are you fucking messing with me?"

"Actually, my friend, it is you who is messing with me. Care to explain why?"

Toby looked confused, "You don't remember? Wow if I freaked out and started screaming for my invisible dad to back off I think I'd remember it, maybe." He tilted his head with a sickening crack, "By the way, what did your dad do to you?"

It was as if someone had kicked him in the gut, a look of pure hatred burned in his eyes, "What?"

Shad chose to step in before more harm was done, his expression serious, "It seems that you were reliving the final moments of your life; graphically by the sounds of it."

"What happened to you?" Trixie asked, wincing under the spectre's glare.

"Yeah, man, that sounded like my level of brutal." Jeff added.

"You don't know either?" Trixie wondered aloud, "But-"

"In a place filled with the dead, demons and killers, talking about the past won't help you. So you don't ask questions." Alice answered.

"Don't ask, don't tell." Ben added pointedly, "Just the way I like it."

"You can't have a spaz out like that and then brush it off, what happened back there?" Jeff demanded, "And don't say you drowned, that's a cop-out."

"But cop-outs are so much fun. Okay, long story short;" Ben huffed, refusing to make eye contact, "When your drunk-ass dad catches you as a comic-con you were forbidden from going to; don't let him drive you home and don't let him take a rest stop near a lake…"

Trixie widened her eyes, "Your dad… killed you?"

"For going to a fucking expo?" Jeff cried, "Shit!"

"Not exactly the words I was using but hey, there you go. And anyway, he was drunk, stoned and I was running around dressed like an elf; I was asking for it."

Alice pointed at him, "Don't you dare try and justify him."

Ben arched an eyebrow, "_Meow_! I didn't know you cared so much, Ally-Cat. Kind of hypocritical don't you think?"

"Maybe. But it's my job to kill; it was his job to be a father."

"It's not as if you saw me die, is it?" he snapped, "Just let it go, it's no big deal."

"Are… are you okay?"

Ben turned his head towards Trixie, surprised by the question. He wanted to scoff at the genuine concern in her tone, but figured he'd cut her some slack just this once, "Yeah, I'm fine. Jeez it's like you've seen a ghost or something!"

"Funny you should say that." Toby grinned.

"Oh, by the way," Ben said calmly, "Which one of you retards punched me in the face!"

"Uh-hehe," Toby muttered, "Funny you should say that too."

"Yeah, funny…" he smirked, playfully smacking him upside the head, "Moron."

Trixie couldn't understand how he could make jokes at a time like this. He had literally been forced to relive his murder and present it to everyone and he just brushed it off. Even the brief moment of anger he let slip out moments earlier had faded into a cocky mask that he expertly wore. She didn't understand his dismissal of it. But again, no one was questioning him further, so she felt pressured to follow suit. Although not happy with it, she didn't feel it was the time to try pushing her luck again. How could a father murder his son like that? It sickened her to the point of rage. Yet, it was not her place.

She looked down at the drawing still clutched in her hands. Things were getting too difficult to handle. If something was able to control her like that, and infect Ben's mind like that, then she clearly didn't understand the power they were working against. None of them did. But it wasn't the fact that she couldn't control what she drew that bothered her, she was used to that. No, what scared her was that this thing could force this image upon them. What could happen in the future that would do this to them? But what was more important to her was if they were able to avoid it somehow. From what she'd heard, no one had been able to change their fate so far. It was hopeless.

"So moral of the story is don't send a dead guy to do a dying persons job. I can live with that." Ben shrugged.

"So to speak." Alice quipped.

"Touché…"

"But who's to say it'll work with someone alive?" Trixie asked, "By the sound of it, it only works with demons."

Shad sighed with exasperation, folding up the pillowcase neatly, "Then we shall try again with one."

"We're doing this again?" Toby cried, "Really?"

"See!" Jeff groaned, "Even _him_ of all people realises this is a bad idea!"

"That's his opinion. I however don't share it. As soon as I have these preparations replaced, I shall continue alone."

"And what makes you think it'll work for you." Trixie asked with as little judgement as possible, but not succeeding.

"Because although I may not have a body to leave behind, unlike Ben I also don't have a soul to be tormented."

Jack shivered as if stifling a sob, "If you think that'll stop him, you're wrong."

**A/N:**

**Well that went well… Until next time guys, where the gang attempts take 2 XD**


	14. Deal Gone Sour

**Hi everyone! Sorry that this one took a while to update. But I've been busy planning, visiting and revising so I've had to learn to prioritise… not very well granted but I'm learning! Okay so enough of me rambling, on with the new chapter. Thanks again for all the comments guys, they mean a lot! XD**

Since their first attempt at spiritually transporting themselves to find the location of Zalgo, and more importantly to some, the location of Slender, had failed so drastically, they had chosen to disperse for the night. Shad was bust at work in making preparations for the next attempt. He understood now. For this to work, it would have to be someone who could not be tricked into such torment. Namely, him. The others were fully human at some point, they all had tragedies and fears that were all too easy to haunt them. And that's exactly what Zalgo preyed on. Shad however, had never truly felt fear. His past was based around serving his superiors. There was nothing that could be used against him. So why shouldn't it be him to take this step? There was no reason, and so he continued to work alone. Or rather, working alone with Jack observing on the sidelines. After all, he needed someone on hand if anything should go wrong. Not that he expected it to.

Meanwhile, the others had chosen to occupy their time in the common room. Things were strangely forced between them at this point. Trixie noticed that Alice and Jeff kept stealing glances at Ben as if expecting him to have another seizure. The ghost in question however, was deliberately ignoring them and had taken a place upside-down and sitting cross-legged on the ceiling. She felt a chill of unease when she saw that he wasn't even wearing his usual cocky smirk. He was just staring down, or rather, up, at his legs as if ashamed. Growing tired with the sickening sounds of Toby cracking his neck from side to side when trying to get a better view, she braved breaking the thick silence and looked up at the spectre.

"You can stop sulking, you know." she almost cringed. What exactly do you say to a dead person you watched relive their murder in a panic and fear induced seizure and then realise they have no memory of it and still listened as they were forced into telling their most guarded secret? "Feeling any better?"

He tilted his head to glance at her before flipping in the air and landing on his feet beside her, "Weird thing is, I never felt bad to begin with."

"You could have fooled me." Jeff scoffed.

"Oh move on already, this is getting boring now."

"Don't get so touchy, Ben," Alice ordered, "If you're going to put on a show then you should know that your going to get a review afterwards."

"How poetic." Jeff muttered.

"Don't you start!"

"Time for round… I've lost count." Toby sighed, "I think eighty-six sounds like a good bet."

"Sounds about right." Trixie huffed, "Ben, I guess we were just shaken up before so that's why we were asking so many quest-"

Ben held up a hand to hush her, "You don't need to play the caring card, Trix, I get it and to be honest I'm not exactly resentful for it. But I just don't see the point in going over it again and again. It happened, it was explained and I managed to create a moment where these two didn't try and claw each others eyes out." He added, Alice and Jeff both turned to glare at him, "Event over, can we move on now?"

"Does anyone else find that ironic coming from a ghost?" Toby asked, not taking into account how insensitive the statement was, "Because, you know, you haven't moved on."

"You don't say…" Ben returned, "Well I wanted to stay here. I still had some stuff to do."

"Ah right, the old 'unfinished business' thing." Alice sneered, using her fingers for air quotes, "Let me guess, you wanted to get back at your old man?"

"What can I say?" he grinned darkly, "He was met with a terrible fate…"

Instantly Jeff held up a hand for a high-five which was returned by the spectre, "The line that made you famous."

"I thought that was the games?" Toby muttered, "Wow you really get around!"

Trixie bit her lip in thought. Unfinished business? That was a real thing? Well the more she thought about it, the more she realised that it wasn't the most unusual thing she'd come across here. It was at this point that she started to wonder what exactly was the most unusual. She couldn't pick out one thing in particular, and that either unnerved her or humoured her, she wasn't sure which. Her trail of thought led back to the idea of spirits having the choice to stay behind. And with it, a question that made her heart sink.

"So how come they…" she trailed off and shifted uneasily at the thought of her family's spirits hovering around; shaking herself and putting on a composed look, she indicate her desire to pretend that she didn't say anything.

Ben however didn't miss a thing. He rolled his eyes with a cocky smirk, "Consider yourself, and them, lucky that they're not stuck hanging around here. Look's like they trusted you enough to handle things on your own."

Trixie lowered her eyes. In a way she guessed that he was right. It would be unfair to have her family's spirits trapped in such a way just so she could feel better. But she missed them so much that she couldn't help but feel a glimmer of selfishness in wanting them with her just so she could talk to them again. Didn't she count as unfinished business? Didn't they care enough to stick around just to make sure that she was going to be okay? She didn't want to think like that, but it couldn't be helped. She wasn't angry at them because in a way she was relieved to hear that they were at peace. She was just… scared.

"I don't get it. Dead people are walking around, living people are getting killed and we're in the idle. Anyone else finding that funny?" Toby mused, neck quirking to the side in an attempt to rid himself of a stubborn crick.

"We've already shared so much today, do we really need to get so personal?" Ben returned, "I'm not getting into it. Let's pass the torch onto someone else, huh?"

Jeff rolled his eyes, "Yeah sure let's take a look around. There's me who, thanks to you, the whole world knows about. Queen bitch over there who won't say shit and Tick-prick who has fucking amnesia. Great options, bud."

Amnesia? Trixie pondered, she turned to Toby curiously, "You don't remember anything?"

"Nope." He shrugged, letting out a little giggle of relief as his shoulder finally cracked, "But I think it was hot… Yeah. Slendy was taking me away from a hot place with a lot of smoke. But before that, not a thing." He didn't sound confused or upset by it, in fact it was like he found the ordeal entertaining, "What about you?"

"Me? I was…" she tried to make light of the situation, "… no where near as _interesting_ as you guys."

"Interesting? Well that's a new one." Alice sneered.

"It's kind of true though. I _had_ a family," she said giving a pointed glance at Jeff and Toby, not for guilt-tripping purposes or malice, it was just a reminder more to herself that she didn't have that life anymore, "I had a few friends and I was studying for a mathematics degree. That's me in a nutshell."

"Ugh… why?"

She shrugged at Alice's question, "My parents said it would get me a better job or something." An ironic laugh escaped her, "Look at me now, huh, full-time job and free living space."

Clearly not noting the sarcasm, Toby's cheeks rose as he grinned behind his mask, "There you go, it's not so bad!"

"One thing we can't fault you on, Tobes," Ben breathed, "That mind of yours is one of a kind."

"And thank god for that…" Jeff added.

"Gee, thanks!"

Trixie sniggered a little, just glad to have a little part of their version of normality back. But the drawing of their mangled corpses still sat heavily in her pocket. The aim to find Slender in that realm of darkness and fear was still going ahead. It all had the possibility to come true. And she knew it. But, wouldn't that only happen if Zalgo got close to them, right? She hoped that was the case. Because if it was, then they were safe. For now that is…

* * *

Shad breathed in the fumes that emitted from the flamed symbol at his feet. He had given his orders to Jack that if he did not return in half an hour, then he must cut off the connection or get assistance from the others. Taking a nod of determination, he drifted forward, standing dead centre. Like before, the smoke rose, crawling up his frame and coiling around his head as if trying to seep into his mind. He braced himself, and breathed in the smoke. It caught at the back of his throat, like ash flaking from a fire. His mind started to cloud, darkness swarming from the floorboards and bleeding through the walls. Closing his eyes, Shad waited. It had been a long time since he'd experienced this first hand. He hoped that it wouldn't be something he'd have to get used to.

Trying his best not to choke on the fumes, Shad waited the feeling of claustrophobia out until he suddenly felt his feet on solid ground. And for someone who generically hovered, this wasn't something he was expecting. His eyes snapped open and he found that the darkness had melted the walls away into emptiness. No, not the walls… It was he who had melted away. The darkness was so thick that it was hard to tell what was darkness and what was solid fixture. Daring to take a step forward, he sound the emptiness swallowed his movements. He may as well have been walking on a treadmill for all he knew. Yet he continued to walk. Something was bound to appear sooner or later. It was common logic.

Suddenly, a flash of white caught his eye. Curiously and cautiously, he edged towards it. He was not scared, it wasn't called for. Upon closer inspection, he found that the white orb in the gloom was in fact a head, attached to a neck just as pale vanishing into a black suite. Tattered and torn along the sleeves, the faceless figure looked like it was starved beyond strength. Shad recognised him instantly. He narrowed his eyes and raced towards him, grabbing the figure by the shoulders and shaking him forcefully.

"Sir! Sir, can you hear me!"

Slender didn't appear to hear him, instead he just remained facing forward, black tendrils seeping from his back and flicking from side to side not unlike a serpent through waves. The movements were random and unfocussed. He'd seen this before. It was the moments he made when about to attack someone infected with the Sickness. But how could this be? There was no victim here.

"Confused? I imagine you would be."

Shad turned on the spot. That voice was like rubbing salt into the already impossible wound. Yet there was no figure to go with it. In a way, he was content with that. Yet the glowing embers of pupils that hovered in the darkness did not improve the situation.

"The poor fool thinks that he's actually collecting souls for me out in the open. Of course he is, but you already know that. He has no idea that he hasn't moved since arriving here. Pitiful, isn't it? Ingenious but pitiful."

"What exactly do you hope to gain from this, Zalgo?" Shad demanded, standing in front of his mentor defensively.

"All in good time, Shadow Lurker. Oh course, my offer still stands and the time will pass a lot faster if you succumb to it."

"Just why are you so interested in having my name?"

"Do not flatter yourself. It is not just your name I desire to know, but since you're the only one who keeps showing up, I work with what I have."

"I'm not giving you anything to work with. So with that understood, I will ask you to let Slender return with me."

A laugh, a cruel and sinister laughter that would send the bravest of humans into a quivering mound of paranoia, "How about I give you another offer, one that might be more… productive for the lot of us. You can either give me your name and join me and your precious master; or you can continue to be your stubborn self and we'll just have to turn to your comrades."

Shad winced. He couldn't risk dragging the others down here. The very air they were breathing now was pure Sickness. They'd never survive more than ten minutes before they would be taken over. He was unsure of the results that could have; but it would no doubt be lethal. But at the same time, he could not hand over his name. To hand over a name was to hand over all free will, all state of mind, everything. He couldn't let that happen. He couldn't let either option happen. But there would be no reasoning with this demon. It was pointless either way.

"Well?" the creature urged wryly.

"I'm not giving you my name."

"Oh? Well then, I hope you think you made the right choice, although I doubt your allies will see it the same way. Let's ask them!"

Shad narrowed his eyes, "Don't you dare! I hadn't finished!"

"Such a shame. Maybe you move faster than you speak. They're waiting for you, Shadow Lurker, don't keep them in the dark for too long."

**A/N:**

**So, where will this take them? Find out in the next chapter. Sorry this one was a little shorter, like I said, things have been busy over here. But the next one will really be something to look forward to. Well I hope so anyway. XD**


	15. Into Darkness

**A/N:**

**Sorry for the long wait everyone! Things have been really busy lately and this chapter took a long time to get right. Personally I still don't think it's there yet, but it's the best I can do right now. I hope you like it and don't forget to tell me what you think XD**

Jack sat cross legged beside the smoking symbol on the ground in wait for this comrade. Shad had left no body behind to guard, for he had none. So Jack was truly alone. He couldn't believe that they could be so foolish as to leave him alone again. But at least this time there was no one for him to hurt if things went wrong again, and those who were near could handle themselves. Normally, when one would think about defending themselves from a sixteen year old, they would scoff. But Jack was not a normal sixteen year old; in fact, the eyeless boy even doubted he was human anymore.

So he waited, ignoring the tick at the back of his head as heightened senses started to register that something wasn't right here. Shad had been gone too long. And something was starting to creep around him as he waited. The smell of rot and decay lingering in the air. In the blackness of his eyes, he didn't see the blackness that was seeping into the room. It seeped through the walls, bubbling at the floor as id pooled around him. Coils of black ooze shot out and clung to him, dragging him into the depths. It choked him, sending floods of black tears tricking into the emptiness around him. All the while, Jack did not fight it. There was no point and he knew it. In the end, he figured, they would all end in the darkness. First, Slender, then Shad, now him… they others were soon to follow.

"Just… don't let it hurt." He whispered, taking a breath as he completely submerged beneath the shadows.

* * *

She'd felt a very odd sensation at the back of her mind before the darkness came. One minute Trixie had been talking amongst the others and the next… It was like an icy chill clawing at the back of her mind, making her twitch unnervingly as if something was watching her, breathing just over her shoulder. It slowly changed into a burn, stinging behind her eyes and forcing them to quiver frantically. Shadows, there where shadows whispering all around them. Couldn't they see it? Why can't they hear them? Trixie hadn't felt like this since she had been placed in the hospital.

"Does anyone else feel… weird?" Trixie stammered.

Toby nodded, his head trapped at an odd angle, "Maybe."

"Are you sure you're asking the right guy there, Trix?" Ben asked jokingly, but unable to hide the nervous tick under his right eye.

Jeff found himself glaring at the wall directly before him, "Ssssicknessss….." he hissed as if talking was a struggle in itself.

"What's happening?" Trixie demanded, paranoia bubbling under her skin.

Alice grabbed fistfuls of her hair, gritting her teeth, "Z-Zalgo…"

Ben became rigid, his outline morphing as if injected with static. Toby suddenly felt very hot, as if fire was licking at his skin. He didn't feel pain, but the heat was prickly and uncomfortably, forcing him to rub his arms irritably. The corners of the room bled with shadows, running along the floor like ink. Trixie tucked her knees under her chin as the liquid flooded the carpet, creeping and clinging to the furniture as it started to rise threateningly. It was neither liquid, nor solid. It couldn't even be considered a gas. It was just shadow, gloomy and filled with the emptiness of unknown darkness. Toby leaned over the side of the sofa and dipped his finger into it. Almost instantly, he froze.

"Don't you dare!" Alice snapped.

"It feels…" he sniggered twistedly as if he was half-asleep, "I think I like it… Whoa-Let go!"

A claw-like being shot out from the ooze and coiled around the boys wrist, desperately tugging at him. Ben and Alice grabbed him, trying to pull him to safety. Jeff narrowed his eyes in rage and tried in vain to slash at the attacker with his blade, only for it to glide right through the thing with no effect. But it seemed that pulling away was going to have no effect, the darkness was still rising regardless. Trixie tried to join in the attempted rescue, but the struggle of bodies shoved her to the side, making her stumble. She slipped onto her rear on the arm of the sofa, her left trainer scraping the surface of the inky blackness.

"For fucks sake, newbie!" Jeff scolded, yanking her upwards by the back of her jacket only to have her fall again as a second tendril coiled at her ankle, "Shit!"

Alice still had her arm looped around Toby's waist as she tried to scramble higher onto the back of the sofa, Ben hovering in the air at her side. Trixie clenched her hands around the arm of the sofa, but her limbs had become heave and stiff with fear. Don't freeze, she begged herself, don't do this again! She clenched her eyes shut and forced herself to kick violently at her restraint. It was in vain, but she thanked god that she was moving again.

The sofa wobbled from the sudden weight directed to the back where the group desperately tried to get as far from the ravenous ooze. There was a sickly moment of realisation, everything pausing cruelly, before the furniture unbalanced and plunged backwards into the darkness. Ben shot towards the ceiling, wincing at the symphony of angered growls and terrified screams below. The gloom was deeper than it looked, swallowing the others up to their throats as they desperately fought to stay afloat. The ghost drifted towards the door, hoping that opening it would clear out some of the threat, only to find the door fixed into place. It was then, that something clicked inside his head. And if he still alive, he would have killed himself for not seeing it earlier.

"Guys," he yelled above the noise, "How about a swim?"

"Are you fucking nuts?" Jeff snapped, trying to avoid another tentacle as it looped around his shoulder.

"Have I ever led any of you wrong before?"

"I don't think this is the time to answer that!" Alice spat.

Toby tried to push through the thick mass, "I'm already swimming, and I don't really want to keep it up!"

"Guys, I'm serious on this one." Ben stated, lowering himself so that he just barely scraped the surface. With his foot, he prodded Trixie's head wryly to get her attention, "Tag, you're it." And just like that, he winked, straightened up with his hands above his head for dramatic emphasis, and dropped like a stone into the depths of the inky substance and out of sight.

Trixie felt a scream clog in her throat, "What the hell? Do we follow him?"

"Hmm, let me fucking think about that one…" Jeff sneered sardonically.

"Well would you hurry up with that?"

"Shut up, Toby!" Alice ordered.

Toby glared at her behind his goggles, "No I won't! Maybe he's onto something here…" he smacked another coil from his hand and stopped struggling, "Slendy's down there."

"Well we're no good to him down there with him are we?" Trixie questioned, "How do you even know he's there?"

The teen grinned at her, his cheeks puffed around his mask, "Let's find out!"

The next time a coil looped and clawed at him, he didn't fight it. Instead, to the other's horror and rage, he allowed it to drag him beneath the surface, his outline melting into the darkness around him. Trixie stared at the spot for a moment before looking at the remaining two desperately.

"Now what?"

Alice clenched her eyes shut in thought, hating herself for what she was about to do, "On the count of three."

Jeff glared at her, "Don't you fucking start!"

"One!" she yelled, giving a nod of conformation for Trixie, "Two…"

"Three!" Trixie cried suddenly, taking a breath and throwing herself forward, the others close behind. What was waiting for them at invisible hands tugged and pulled at them, they didn't know. But it was a hell of a lot better struggling aimlessly with a fight that just couldn't be won.

* * *

Zalgo grinned wickedly as he felt the new arrivals scattering thought his own personal kingdom. His illuminated arm draped mockingly over Slender's motionless form.

"Oh dear friend; you've done so much for me… And I do hate to pick at such little details, but a deal's a deal and you just had to go and break it, didn't you? Shame on you." He snickered and harshly slapped his company's featureless face, receiving no reaction in the process, "When I ask for a certain amount of souls per week, I expect you to deliver. It's your own fault for only choosing sinners, if you had just not been so picky like the others, then you wouldn't be here, would you?"

The demon watched as Slender struck out a tendril, completely unaware that he was not even attacking someone.

"Poor fool. You should be thanking me anyway. If I'm spreading the Sickness to more people, deserving or not as your pathetic morals conclude… Then doesn't it mean more work for those slaves of yours after you so cruelly took them for yourself instead of sending them right to me? And more work for them means more for not only the others and I to feast upon, but you too? In the long run I'm doing us all a favour." Zalgo suddenly cackled, "Oh you know me better than that, my friend! Who needs proxies anymore anyway? In my opinion it would be better to just spread the Sickness and have us demons feed at our own will and pace with no unreliable vermin. They'd make a good food source after all… I'll tell you what, once the Sickness has claimed them, they'll be the first on the menu. Yes?"

Another cruel laugh as he once again received no reaction, "I'm glad you agree. Hey, look at that, it looks like your little pets have only a short amount of time before my home starts to get to them! I hope you're hungry. I'm ravenous… You'll thank me in the end, my fried, you all will."

**A/N:**

**Sorry again for the short chapter, this one took a while to get written down. But the next chapter shows how the Sickness is effecting the others, how will they cope? Find out next time XD**


	16. Doubting Sanity

**A/N:**

**I'm not giving away anything for this one. **

Trixie gasped in fear as she snapped her eyes open, finally free from the choking darkness. The icy air stung at her lungs as she drank it in greedily. Finally, it felt like a weight had been lifted from her chest and she finally gained the energy to move. However, the moment her arms tried to shift in order to push herself up, it proved more of a challenge than expected. Hazel eyes wide in panic, Trixie looked down at herself, trembling fearfully.

A thick white strap travelled around her waist, two more at her wrists keeping her arms above her head and another pair at her ankles. Movement from the bare mattress and bed-frame was impossible. The tiled room that she found herself in was horribly familiar. A single doorway on the opposite end of the room looked thick and heavy, a tiny observation window glared mockingly at her. Everything about this place made her break out in a cold sweat. From the clicking of the air-vent to the papery material of the hospital gown she was wearing.

"Hello?" she called out desperately, thrashing against her restraints, "Alice! Ben, Jeff! Toby! Can anyone hear me? Help!"

She whimpered in surprise as the door clanged loudly, creaking as it opened to reveal a tall, clean-cut man in a long white coat, "Good evening, Trixie. Another nightmare?"

"Y-you?" she stammered. No, it couldn't be. What the hell was her hospital _psychiatrist_ doing here? Where even was 'here'? "Where are the others?"

"Again, just me." He said musingly, taking a seat and pulling out a file from his bag, scanning over it lightly, "The doctor has already given you your medication this morning, remember?"

"Medication…?" she shook her head, "No, no where are the others?"

"You'll receive your other medications tonight and then another in the morning, as always."

"No! Where are the others that came through with me? Jeff, Ben, Alice, Toby… Jack even? Where are they?"

He sighed tiredly, "Not this again. You must have had another nightmare. Would you like to talk about it?"

Nightmare? "It wasn't a nightmare! Where am I?"

She knew the horrible answer before he could even finish saying it. His words like iced daggers driven into her chest, "You're in hospital, Trixie. You know that. Do you remember why you're here?"

Anger raged inside of her. This wasn't real, it couldn't be! The others were real, and lost somewhere after vanishing among the blackness that had been seeping into the room. They were looking for Slender. It had been real! Her arms tugged forcefully at the restraints, but grunted in pain as she found that her wrists were already covered in a crust of blood from apparent previous struggling. Why were they so sore? She'd only been fighting for two minutes! Hadn't she?

"You're lying! This is some sick game!"

"Do you know why you're here?" he repeated, slightly harsher, "You killed your family, Trixie, and the sooner you accept that the sooner you can move on from these gruesome delusions you've created for yourself."

"They're not delusions!"

"Why not tell me about them?" he asked in a calmer and more professional tone, "Maybe when you say them out loud, maybe you'll realise how impossible they are. Who is first?"

"Let me go!"

"Why don't I start? It's all here in your file after all," he offered, opening the page, "Let's discuss Alice first, yes? The killer who forces people to gamble with their life. You're not sure about her, are you? You don't like how she torments people for her own entertainment and yet you appreciate her blunt honesty and will for freedom. She's not real, Trixie, she's in your mind, she's what the darker side of you aspires to be. Honest and free, am I right?"

Trixie panted from the lack of energy, "What?"

"The Eyeless Jack character you've told me about, he's your sorrow and guilt. You know the crime you've committed and fear it. You don't want to hurt people, Trixie, the Jack you've created is trying to tell you this. Let him go."

"No… No he's real!"

"No he isn't. He's your guilt. But this, Shadow Lurker however, he took a while to analyse but I'm pretty sure he's your representative of your control. It's vague and vanishes like a shadow and that's the image you've created. I do like how you've described him, he doesn't deliberately scare you like the others, in fact I daresay he watches out for you which shows that you want your control back. Keep the control, Trixie, but loose the character." Another page turned, "Oh, Ben. The technology ghost."

"Don't fucking mock me!"

"I'm not mocking you. Now let's discuss this Ben character. You find him easy to talk to, almost a friend. Yet he takes pleasure in causing fear. He's not to be trusted and you know that because of the company he's so happy keeping. But you keep the same company it seems… Is he your humour, Trixie? Is that how you killed your parents and brother, by luring them into a false sense of security?"

"No!" she yelled, tears starting to form in her eyes, "I didn't kill them! It's wasn't my fault! It… I didn't…"

"Yes you did. Accept it and take responsibility, Trixie. It's best for all of us. Or do you still continue to blame Jeff and Toby?"

"You don't understand…" she sobbed.

"I understand what you've told me in our previous appointments. And Toby is not real. He's someone you've created. Innocently simple minded and flawed both mentally and physically. He's what you fear and yet you hope that people see you as him. You want to be seen as likable so that you don't get blamed for your actions. Why else would you pick a name so similar to your own? It's not working, Trixie."

It wasn't true. It couldn't be. They were real, right? She'd lived with them for weeks, how couldn't it be real? Mr. Widemouth had taken her from the hospital, none of this was possible! And yet, why was everything this man was saying making some sense in some way? Why else would she be here? But if he was telling the truth, then did she really kill… No! He was lying. He had to be! Please, she begged, tell me he's lying.

"And finally Jeff. Now he really is what you fear. You tell me that you've seen his past and how you know that he killed his parents, his brother… Sound familiar?"

"Please… stop it…" she sobbed.

"You need to hear this again, you need to understand that you're a danger to yourself and others until you accept what you've done. You are the fighter: Alice, the guilty: Jack, the controller: Shadow Lurker, the adapter: Ben, the passive: Toby; and you're also the killer: Jeff."

"No!" she screamed, thrashing against her bonds once more, eyes darting fearfully as her hair clung to her forehead from sweat, "You're lying! They're real! Look at my shoulder, my left shoulder; Slender branded me!"

"_The_ Slenderman?"

"Yes! He made me a Proxy, I'm his Proxy! Look at it, it's proof that I'm not making this up."

The psychiatrist sighed mournfully, "Must we do this again, Trixie?" He stood up, pulling a loop of keys from his pocket and carefully unlocking her left wrist, gripping it tightly to stop her lashing out at him. He lowered her arm down so that she could get a clear view of her shoulder, "I'm sorry, Trixie, but you need to get better. You need to realise the truth."

Her heart hammered against her ribs as she tilted her head. For the first time, she longed to see that black, crossed out circle burned into her skin. She begged for it to be there. But when her eyes met that hopeful patch on skin. That's all she saw. Skin. Pale and stretched over her bone from malnutrition and strain. There was no brand, or sign that there ever was one. It was gone. Just like her hope. Tears poured down her face and dripped onto the mattress beneath her. She didn't even fight back when her arm was locked in place once more.

No… Was it really true? Had she made it all up in her head as some sick escape? Had every single person and event she'd witnessed come from a section of her psyche? Why must he make such sense? Maybe she was a killer. But how? Why? Of course she didn't want it to be true. But she couldn't figure out how it couldn't be. How else would she end up in hospital again? Holding back screams, she instead whimpered and clenched her eyes shut. She didn't want to see anything anymore. Especially not at him.

"Are you ready to accept responsibility for your actions, Trixie?"

"I…" she took a breath and silently wished the others goodbye. Real or not, she'd grown to know them. Not very well sure, but know them all the same. And now she really did have to let them go. For her own sake as well as anyone else that may be hurt due to her. Goodbye, and I'm sorry… "Yes."

"Good girl, very good girl, Trix."

Trix… Wasn't that what some of the others had called her? No she couldn't think about that. They weren't real. It was all in her head… Wasn't it? Maybe? Yes. No! Her skull ached as if willing to crack open. Her shoulder burning intensely. Something wasn't right. Why would her therapist; a medical doctor who was employed to help her, be so unprofessional as to give her not one, but two nicknames. One she'd corrected him previously on, another she'd only been labelled not a month ago. It didn't make sense. And how did he know about Slenderman, she hadn't used his full title, had she? She wasn't sure. She looked weakly at the man, almost pleadingly.

"Why do you keep calling me that?"

"Call you what, Trixie?"

"That. You never called me that before. Why now?"

"Isn't that your name?"

"Not really."

He suddenly leaned forward a little too eagerly, "What _is_ your name?"

She flinched, studying his hungry leer. The file in his hands was still there, papers filled with her information, why was he being like this? Something wasn't right here… "You tell me."

"I'm not here to play games, Trixie, I'm here to help you recover." He replied, sitting back, "Now why don't you tell me about these figments of nightmares? What are they called again?"

"You've already told me."

"Not their full names, maybe finding origins would give reason to why they're embedding themselves into your mind. We must nip this illusion of yours in the bud."

"They're not illusions and you know it! Say my name! What is my name?"

"Please remain calm, Trixie."

"Look at that file and read out my name!"

"Don't argue with me you pathetic little Proxy!" the man suddenly erupted, jumping to his feet with such force that the chair toppled backwards. The file dropped to the floor, splaying open to reveal nothing but blank pages.

Trixie narrowed her eyes in both triumph and fear as he gritted his teeth in impatient rage, "My psychiatrist always called me by my full first name, and he didn't care for my nightmares. And he definitely didn't know what _The_ Slenderman was."

The tiles on the wall started peeling as if made of paper, the ceiling opening up into an endless abyss of darkness. This place wasn't real. None of it was. Trixie gritted her teeth and gave one last attempt as escape. Her body arched, tugging with all her might against the restraints. At first, there was nothing. Nothing but pain and restriction. But she didn't stop. They weren't real. Just make-believe copies of a memory designed to fool her. Not anymore. With an extra pang of adrenaline, she tugged again. This time, the straps crumbled, turning to ash at her skin. Air poured down her lungs as she was finally able to sit up.

Fear, joy and rage searing through her, she looked at her surprised company in took a breath, "Fuck you, Zalgo."

The figure chuckled darkly, "Well played, Trixie, well played indeed."

He still hadn't changed from his disguise, and frankly she didn't want to. She feared him and he knew it, but she fought desperately to hide it, "Where are the others?"

"Here and there."

"Tell me!"

He didn't answer, instead, he arched an eyebrow, "Do you fear me, Trixie?"

She shivered as she scrambled off of the bed and pressed herself against the doorway, unsure if she should glare of cower but simply thankful that she wasn't freezing up again, "Y-yes."

"Yet you haven't run."

"I need to find the others."

"Why? Why do that when they're just going to be as infected as you. In fact the only reason you broke free so quickly was because you were the last to be branded by that fool! The mark is still fresh in you, don't expect it to last."

Upon hearing his warning, her eyes dropped down to her shoulder. And for the first time, she actually felt a bubble of contentment at the sight of the inky-black mark etched into her skin. It was back, and as she traced her fingers over it, she knew it was real. But she refrained from smiling, "Last in, last out?"

"Clever girl." He mocked, "Can I have a name to match the mind?"

"Why do you want my name so much?"

"That's not important."

"To you it is."

"Don't challenge me, Proxy, it's not your place." He snarled, eyes blackening gruesomely, teeth pointing into jagged shards.

She winced, hands frantically grabbing the door-handle, "I'll find them! And you can't stop me!"

"You'll never find them before the Sickness takes them. In fact it's only a matter of time before it takes you once more, and you know that."

She narrowed her eyes, "I'm not scared of the Sickness anymore."

"Oh, and why's that?"

"Because I'm already as Sick as I'm going to get."

Zalgo smirked wickedly from the shadows as he watched the Proxy walked away, sinking into the gloom until just her outline shifted ever faintly, "That sounds like such a fun challenge."

**A/N:**

**Wow this took a while to get onto the page. Am I happy with it, not entirely, but I hope I did okay. All the characters return in the next chapter, so onwards! XD**


	17. Infectious

**A/N:**

**Got a nice long chapter for you here! Enjoy!**

Trixie sunk to her knee's, weak from the sudden adrenaline rush. There was nothing but corridors and blackness. Every corner was inked in blackness, the wood of the doors patterned on both walls were seemingly the colour of ivory. You couldn't turn a corner without having to pause and allow your eyes to adjust. An uncomfortable heat hung in the air, sticky and clinging to whoever should be so unfortunate to enter like Clingfilm.

Fear clawed at her throat, burning in her mind. She'd seen Zalgo, granted it wasn't his true form but surely that was to come. She'd been warned, whoever should see his true face would never recover from such terror. Feeling the desire to mutilate oneself in order to rid the image from their mind. He was toying with them. She knew full well that if he wanted them all dead, then he would have been able to kill them in seconds. The only reason she was alive, the only reason any of them were permitted to wonder so aimlessly in and out of Sickness… was because he was bored. It was a game. A game he knew he was going to win. But Trixie, no matter how scared she was, she couldn't bring herself to just sit and wait.

If I'm going to die here, if he's really going to win, she thought as she struggled to her feet, Then I am not going to die alone. She'd told Zalgo that she'd find the others, so what was stopping her? Nothing. And she didn't have time on her side. The only reason she broke out of the Sickness mind-game was being she was recently branded, the demon blood was still strong in her system. She looked at the imprint on her shoulder. It wasn't full-proof, and it would not keep her sane for long. Acting sooner rather than later was the best option. But the darkness was growing. She couldn't see more than six feet in front of her. She could feel the Sickness stirring inside of her. It was burning from the pit of her stomach and rising to scrape at the back of her mind. Not again… Not again please…

"Trixie!"

The stern voice may have snapped her back to reality, but it was the icy hands on her shoulders that made her react. She pushed the figure away harshly and glared, "Get away from m-." she paused in realisation. Taking in the black cloak, drifting as if made from shadows. Lifeless grey eyes were focussed in determination, "Sh-Shad?" No, it couldn't be, it must be another Zalgo trick. Well it wasn't going to work, he made another mistake, "You're not him. He doesn't call me that, he only uses my real first name."

"I know I do." the look-alike stated seriously, "But names are dangerous here and I don't plan on taking any risks. So perhaps you could forgive the informalities just this once."

That took her by surprise. No trick questions such as 'and what do I normally call you' etc… Maybe it really was him? "Prove that it's you." She ordered.

He sighed, but there was a look of approval in there somewhere, "I doubt that I can truly prove it. But if you believe me or not we have to keep moving, the Sickness is spreading and the others may not be able to break out of it alone."

For some reason, that sold her. A wave of relief rushed through her, "Lead the way."

A rare quirk of a smile pulled at the corner of his mouth as he turned away and started to guide their way through the gloom, "I see you're still developing your fight reflex."

She could have hugged him if the situation hadn't still been so hopeless and the fact that she felt to embarrassed about getting ready to punch him, "Turns out it comes in handy."

"I should hope so. We may need it later."

Trixie didn't like the sound of that. She didn't understand why they were here or how, she didn't even understand why this obsession with names was suddenly a major theme. Considering one of these issues seemed more dangerous than the others, she felt the need to bring it up again, "I… I met Zalgo earlier… He just kept asking me for names, full and real names."

His eyes hardened, "What did you tell him?" he demanded.

"N-nothing! I don't even _know_ anyone's real name!" The sudden rage making her falter in thought. She was trying so hard to find and help these people, these killers… when in truth she didn't know who they were. All she knew was some lies and stories typed on a website. The realisation was cruel, but needed, "I don't know anything."

Shad slumped his shoulders, noting her epiphany and nodded sincerely, "Some things are best not to know. But remember, the point is that you know _enough_. Does it change your opinion on things here?"

"No." she answered honestly, "Weirdly enough, it really doesn't."

"Then don't let it change our course. Let's keep searching."

"But why does he want our names so much?" Trixie asked, rushing to keep up with him as he started moving down another shadowed corridor.

"Remember you were told that true names hold power, and that's why some demons and proxy alike create 'stage-names'?"

"Yes."

"If he has our full names in his memory, then there's nothing stopping him from converting us over to his side."

She felt a chill, "Mind control?"

"Not exactly. Mind control implies that you would have a mind left to control. This is more like mental mutilation and the elimination of consciousness."

"That's…" images of zombies and puppets swam in her mind, each more disturbing then the last.

A slick voice from behind made them jump, Trixie had the worst of it as something tapped her shoulder, giving her a static shock, "Not exactly the best way to go eh?" They turned, finding that their company was a simple translucent spectre, a game-character cosplay of sorts as his attire. He smirked, "You look surprised to see me."

"Ben?" Trixie exclaimed, wanting to either slap him or laugh at him, "How-?"

Shad analysed the figure for any possible signs of Zalgo's return. But there was no demon traces to his shadow. Shadow Lurker studied him, and only when Ben noted the relax in stance did he feel that he was permitted to explain. The paranoia was getting to everyone, he didn't blame them for being careful.

"I've already had my run-in with the Sickness remember? It'll take a little while longer before it gets me again. Unlike someone." He added, arching an eyebrow at her, "Did you seriously think that hospital junk was real? I gotta say I'm a little disappointed, Trix."

Hospital… How did he know about that unless… Trixie took a step closer, staring at him directly, still not quite tall enough to meet his eyes as he was still hovering lazily as if laying on his stomach, head resting on a fist, "You were there? You _watched_?" she spat, "You just stood there and watched me go through that and you didn't think to fucking help me? You… You _bastard_!"

Ben fought to keep a smile off of his face, "Actually. I think I helped plenty."

"How the fuck did you help? The only reason I got out of there was because Zalgo messed up and called me that stupid nickname that you and Toby gave me!"

He poked her forehead, making her flinch as he delivered another static shock, "Where'd you think he heard it from, genius?"

Shad narrowed his eyes, "Explain."

"I saw what was going on, started deliberately yelling your name, a.k.a Trix, and the big guy mistook it as your real name and tried to use it against you and it clearly backfired." He shrugged, "You're welcome."

Trixie felt a pang of guilt, she Ben had managed to fool Zalgo, just like that? He planned it for her to realise the mistake. She exhaled, feeling embarrassed for shouting at him, "I didn't know."

"Then don't mention it." He winked, "Anyway I kind of owed you one anyway." Under her quizzical look, he elaborated, "Back when I had my little _episode_, you were the only one to actually ask and make sure that I was okay instead of just pestering me. So this time around I figured I'd return the favour."

"Oh…" she muttered, unsure of what to say.

Shad however, swiftly took over, "And I'm sure gratitude is implied, but we need to move on now. The others are waiting, but the Sickness won't."

"Right you are Shaddy-boy, lead the way."

* * *

Alice crouched down, hand gripped like a talon in her copper hair, tears streaming down her face. How could he do this to her? She loved him, didn't he love her? He said he did, and that's why he was doing this. She'd disappointed him again. All she had to do was hustle one more person, the cards were still clutched in her free hand. But she failed. Now he was punishing her.

"Get up you lazy whore!" he spat, kicking her in the ribs, "You deserve this! Do you know how much cash you've just lost me?"

"I'm sorry!" she begged, "I didn't know the game he chose! I didn't kn-"

"Don't fucking lie to me! You lost on purpose! Now get up!" he snarled snatching at her hair, hoisting her to her feet and dragging her across the room and forcefully dropping her in a chair at the table, "Hand over the cards."

"What?"

"Hand over the cards!" he yelled, making her flinch. She obeyed, watching her pack, each card inscripted with her name, get shuffled brutishly in his hands, "Let's play."

"I… I don't understand."

"You're worth fuck all to me if you can't win. Now let's see how you play when it's something for you, you selfish bitch! Win this game, or I'll end you!"

"No, please…" she sobbed, "I'm sorry…"

"Sorry doesn't get me cash, does it?"

"I didn't mean to mess up, I'll win next time I promise, please I-I love you, you said you loved me! If you loved me then you wouldn't do this!"

"Love? What I love is that sweet ass of yours and how you use it to win. There's money in this line of work and if you're not going to win then you're not worth anything. If you don't win then you're just another slut alone on the streets. Now win, or you won't even make it that far."

She watched as he handed out the hands. He couldn't kill her. He just couldn't! She loved him, "Please…"

"Shut it, now play and win."

Alice obeyed. As cards were swapped and traded, Alice felt a rage inside of her that she couldn't explain. How dare he do this to her. She'd lost so much for him and no he does this? One game, she'd only ever lost one game and this was her punishment? No, she couldn't let him get away with this. Slowly, the tears dried, the sobbing silenced, and her eyes narrowed on her cards. Her personal, winning cards. The game was long, only because she wished it to be. I loved you, she thought, And now I love to hate you…

"There you go." He soothed, a sick grin seeping on his face as the final card was played, "It's not so hard to win with the right motivation, eh?" She'd won. The game and her life. He got to his feet and ruffled her hair harshly, "That's my girl."

Her hand lashed out and clamped around his wrist. He glared at her, but her expression was empty, "Wait. If I lost, you were going to kill me… I have the right for the same conditions."

"What are you talking about?" he mocked.

"I mean…" she answered, a twisted laughter catching in her throat, "Don't gamble with your life if you're not destined to win."

Those were her last words to him. The last thing he heard other than the sound of his own flesh tearing. The only reminder he had of her, was the Ace of Hearts card, sliced and dented into the gashes of his throat. But although the satisfaction was pure bliss, it still didn't stop her fearing the truth that now, she was alone. She didn't like being alone. Alone meant there was nothing to keep the voices away. Alone was emptiness. Alone was…

"Why did you do this… Don't leave me alone. I don't want to be alone anymore! Please! Help! I'm not meant to be alone! Don't leave me like this!"

She recoiled as she felt a heavy slap across her face, a harsh voice yelling at her, "You're not alone! Now get up, we don't have time for this!"

Alice blinked in the gloom, searching for the voice, an arm outstretched, "Who's there? Don't leave me! Please!"

"It's Jeff you idiot. Now fucking get up, I don't fancy turning into you any time soon."

He looked down at her, sitting in the centre of a circle of playing cards, curled in on herself and sobbing like a lost child. All he could make out from her mumblings was something about being alone. And frankly that was starting to sound a little too much like Jack for his liking. Wherever Jack was… Jeff knew the Sickness was at work, and it would get to him soon. So he kind of wanted one halfway sane person around when it did. And considering Alice was the first one he found, he didn't want to be picky.

"J-Jeff…?"

"Yeah, you know. Pale, dark hair, famous killer, pretty good looking guy, you like to piss him off a lot? Ring a bell?"

She narrowed her eyes in thought, slowly seeping back to reality, the bloodied room fading from view, "You… hit me."

"Well yeah you were acting like a fucking retard so what else was I gonna do to snap you out of-OW FUCKING HELL!"

Alice had thrown her fist directly upwards, and being at her current position of sitting on the floor, she had perfect aim for the unguarded area between his legs. He coughed as the wind was knocked out of him, stumbling to the side and glowering at her in rage. She returned the look, still fuming from her Sickness induced dream.

"Never. Hit me. Again." she warned.

"You should thank me! If it wasn't for me you'd still be crying like a freaking child!"

He was right, but like hell she'd admit it. She got to her feet and looked around at the empty corridor, "Get over it. Where are the others?"

Jeff adjusted himself sorely, "Fuck knows. Lucky me you're the first one I run into… Bitch."

"You say it like it's a bad thing."

"Come on." He huffed, taking off down the hallway, "Before anything else happens. What was all that about being alone anyway? All you do it go on about going on jobs by yourself?"

Alice looked away, stone-faced, "None of your business."

"Hey you just fucking punched me in the nards, I think you owe me an answer!"

"I owe you nothing."

"And I dragged you out of the Sickness, don't forget, now you owe me two."

"I owe you nothing!" she cried, the two locking eyes in anger. She pointed at him warningly, "You didn't have to do anything back there, I couldn't have gotten out myself. So don't act like you're the big hero because you're not. You're just some idiot with a big ego now shut the fuck up and lets find the others. I want out of here as much as you."

He contemplated her for a moment, before looking away irritably, "A fucking thank you won't hurt."

Dripping with sarcasm, she put a hand on his shoulder, "In that case I'm so thankful kind Sir!"

She waited for a sardonic reaction, or a curse. But there was nothing. Curiously, she tilted her head to see his face, her blood chilling at the sight. Jeff's expression was blank, like he wasn't even listening to her. She shook him, but nothing. A strange, blackened glaze coated his eyes. A twisted grin starting to pull at his lips, "Hehe… I'm sorry…"

"What?"

He laughed, slowly and eerily, "I'm sorry, Liu… I didn't mean to get you too. Hehe… Liars, they're all liars… Don't blame me, Liu…"

Realisation was tormenting. The Sickness, he reeked of it, "Jeff, listen to me! It's not real!"

"You…" he growled suddenly, grabbing her throat, "Go. To. _Sleep_!"

"No!" Alice returned, bucking her legs to kick him away, "You're not leaving me like this you selfish prick! You're staying right here!" She jumped forward, shoving him sharply and stamped a foot down on his chest as he fell to the floor, "You… Wake. Up! Now!"

* * *

"Come on, what is it?" Ben asked tiredly.

"I don't know." Trixie answered, stepping into one of the side rooms to investigate a hunched figure cowered in the corner, "Give me a minute."

"I strongly advise against this." Shad insisted.

"One minute." She pleaded.

She looked at the figure anxiously, her lip quivering as she tried desperately to suppress her fearful desire to freeze. Its messy array of dark brown hair stood up at all angles, pale skin moulded around a pair of wide and shadowed eyes as if deprived years of sleep. A manic grin revealed a large pair of front teeth, stained red where they were furiously nibbling away at its hands and fingers, seemingly relishing in the taste of its own skin. The way it hunched over was almost inhuman. Trixie shivered, taking a step back in hopes of avoiding this creature. Shad was right, this was a bad idea.

However, the moment she was about to turn her back, something caught her eye. There was something around the things throat, a metal vent of sorts that were clasped with a strap, almost like a mask. On the floor, a pair of glasses. No… Goggles, amber lensed goggles. She peered a little closer. The thing snapped its head upwards, quirking its neck with a sickening crack soon followed by a slow, sinister chuckle as it waved its bloodied fingers at her.

"T-Toby?" she gasped, daring to take a step closer, "Toby is that you?" She'd never seen him without his headgear before, and the scarlet spatter from his own skin was not something she expected, "Talk to me."

Another laugh, this time slightly higher pitched, "Hey… hehe…" He held out a chipped hand, "Don't worry, it doesn't hurt… I haven't done this in forever…"

She dropped to her knees and shook him, "No, stop it! Come with me, we're getting out of here, okay?"

"But I don't want to. I can do what I like here, and no one stops me."

"We stop you because we don't want you hurting yourself! Please, Toby, come with me and help me find the others."

"Don't stop me." He snapped, a sudden cruelty to his voice, "You're just like him aren't you?"

"Him?"

"He didn't care either! He just liked having people do everything for him, the useless fucker! He didn't care about me, or her or anyone!"

Trixie recoiled as his has lashed out to strike her across the face. A bloodied handprint stained her cheek, pain stinging through her skin. She stared at him in shock, "T-Toby… Please. Come with me, the others are waiting. You'll only get hurt here."

His buck teeth became more visible through his smile, "But… I can't be hurt."

Despite her fear, she grabbed his wrists to stop him as he tried to take another chunk from his fingers, furious at being interrupted, he darted forward and tried to bite at her neck. Trixie jolted backwards, narrowly avoiding him. In desperation, she forcefully jolted his arms downwards and grabbed the mask around his neck, lifting it back over his mouth to form half of the familiar form she recognised. Her hands cupped his cheeks and her eyes bore into his with the greatest of determination. His popping ligaments shifted under her fingers, but she held firm. This wasn't the Toby she knew, and she'd be damned if she'd let him become the maddened killer she once mistook him for.

"Toby, look at me." She ordered, "You want to save the others, right, you want to save Slendy. _Your_ Slendy. Remember? Well you can't do that if you let Zalgo win, can you? You can't! So please, you need to get back up and remember why you're here! You want to get out of here and save Slendy? Then you have to help me! Please!"

He blinked, head twitching underneath her grasp, "S-Slendy?" His eyes brightened, "S-Slendy's here! But…" he glanced down at his hands, "But I can do what I like here… Why are you stopping me?"

"I'm not stopping you, I'm helping you."

"Maybe I don't want help?" he mumbled.

"Is that true? Really?"

Behind his mask, Toby looked confused. He didn't like this. He didn't like it one bit. He clunched his hair, matting them with his blood as the conflict scolded his mind, "I… I want Slendy… Slendy always knows what to do. Wh-where's Slendy?"

Trixie nodded and smoothed back his hair before releasing him, "If you want Slendy, then we'll find him. Okay?"

Toby looked at his hands again, the urge to take another lick of the warm liquid that seeped from them bubbling cruelly. Yet, he suppressed it, instead covering them with the gloves he'd stored in his pocket and scooping up his goggles, "I don't think Slendy's gonna be happy with me, he told me that doing this is bad. But I like it so much… I don't feel it. I don't feel anything."

"I'm sure he'll understand." She breathed, "Come on… the others are waiting for us."

Toby quirked his neck, "Did you feel it?" he asked, pointing to her reddened cheek.

She lowered her eyes. There was no sense in lying to him, "Yes."

"Are you mad at me?" a childish look about him made her sigh.

She shook her head and helped him stumble to his feet, "I'm not mad. But I'm telling Slendy if you dare do it again."

"Deal."

Trixie had to ask, it was eating at her, and in a place like this, that was never a good sign. She led him down to the doorway where Ben and Shad's eager faces looked on through the glass window, "You said I was just like someone. A man I think. And he didn't care about you and someone else. Who were you talking about?"

"Huh?" he paused in thought, finally shrugging, "Can't remember." Toby yanked open the door and beamed behind his mask, "Hey guys! What took you so long, it's a bit dark in here, I've been sitting there for ages!"

Ben gave Trixie a sardonic roll of the eyes, "Well, that told us."

Trixie smiled a little, four people down, four to go. Alice, Jack, Jeff and Slender will still out there in the Sickness gloom. And if they weren't found soon, then who knows how long it would be before they themselves were taken once more…

**A/N:**

**Well Ben is safe for now, Trixie's got a little bit of time and Toby's in the real world again. But what about Jeff and Alice, and where is Jack and Slender? Where's Zalgo? Find out in the next chapter! Also, if you want to see more on Toby's backstory, you can read it on Deviantart on Toby's creator's page. 'Fatal-Impurity'. **


	18. Fake Faces

**A/N:**

**Nice long chapter for you guys for being so patient XD**

Zalgo sighed mockingly. Those Proxies were so… pitiful. So pitiful in fact that it was almost too amusing to let them continue walking aimlessly around his world. Did they really think that they would get anywhere? Of course not. This entire realm was his creation, coated in Sickness and writhing in emptiness. There was no escape. Those proxies could only stay in the borderlines of control for so long before suffering another relapse. Why not humour them and allow them to find one another for now? It would only make it more entertaining and satisfactory to see them all together anyway. To watch as they tried to cling onto their sanity and desperately beg one another to fight it in vain. He just hoped that he could have the self control not to laugh before they were all converted.

He glanced over his shoulder at Slender, still paralysed in his trance-like state. Poor fool. It was almost laughable how easily he gave into the Sickness. That's what you get for pretending to be human and trying to use 'decent' morals. Demons needed to feed, why be picky and try and separate one human for another? But he stopped himself internally rambling before he got too distracted from the task at hand. Despite enjoying the Proxies fruitless attempt at finding hope and escape, he had to restrain himself and remember that he couldn't dawdle for too long. He still needed their minds in some form of order if he was to use them when he so wished.

"It would have been so much easier if you just gave up their names when you had the chance. They're just souls to feast on after all. There's no sense in keeping them alive like you do, you might say it's cruel. And coming from me, that's saying a lot. Proxies are pointless. Second-hand Sickness it never as satisfactory as your own, and you know that. Living on it for all these years, no wonder you're so weak." Zalgo spat, grabbing one of the tendrils coiling from his prisoners back, scolding it with his fingers, charred ash scraped away under his touch, "You're so boring… Boring weak and a disgrace and yet they look up to you. How idiotic."

Something shifted behind him. Partially annoyed at having his external ponderings interrupted, but nevertheless curious as to find what wonderer had come his way. He turned his head, keeping to the gloom, to observe the intruder. A wry smirk stretched against his charred face. It was one of the Proxies. Younger than the rest it seemed, clad in a black hoody, skin so deathly pale and infected that it had turned an icy blue. Empty black eyes searched hopelessly as inked tears streamed down its cheeks.

Jack tried to concentrate, any sound that sound allow him to sense a presence, a figure, anything. But all he could pick up was Sickness. The sound of a crusted smirk filled his ears, "Please, I'm not allowed to be alone…" he mumbled mournfully, looking towards the figure. Something didn't feel right, "You're going to leave me too, aren't you?"

Zalgo studied the new arrival. The darkness in his mind was thick, laced with unsure memories. He smirked, "Do you fear me, Eyeless Jack?"

His streaming, empty sockets nodded, arms wrapping around himself, "Yes, but I'm scared of myself more… Of being alone… Where's Slender? He can help me. I need help…"

"I can free you, boy, you won't be alone again." he offered, coming out from the darkness. There was no need to hide, this boy could not see him. And his other senses could only paint a blurred picture. There was nothing to fear, this boy would not loose his control just yet. Not until the time was right, "I can help you. Why don't you tell me your name…?"

* * *

"How're you holding up there, Tic-Tok?" Ben asked casually.

In answer, Toby cracked the bones in his neck and grinned behind his mask, "Huh?"

"Never mind." He rolled his eyes, "And, oh fearless leader, may I be so bold as to ask for a status report?"

Shad ran his fingers through the shadows, the Sickness was acting in currents, trailing around corners and sometimes dispatching into the air. However, one current was flowing rapidly, heated and determined like a viper that had located its victim. Shad pulled back sharply, "This way, but prepare yourselves, whoever it is won't be themselves."

"So either Jeffy-boy, Alice or Jack is going to be in a really bad mood… This is going to be interesting."

Trixie looked at the spectre, anxious and on edge. Interesting was not the word she would have used at all. Whichever one it was, they were going to be out for blood. Theirs if Zalgo had gotten his way, "How exactly do you prepare yourself for something like that?"

"Jump right in I guess." Toby answered, making a move to turn down a blackness-infested corridor, only to find a wall in his way. He bumped away from it and chuckled, pointing after the direction that Shad had taken, "I'll follow you."

"Good choice." Ben muttered, giving Trixie a knowing look.

She smiled in spite of herself, not wanting to admit the fact that she had almost done the same thing not too long ago when she'd let herself fall behind. Not wanting to repeat the act, she quickened her pace to keep up with the others. Out of the three possible killers that were up ahead, she was unsure of which she would rather see in this state. She'd been Jack lose it before, and she didn't think that she could bring herself to see him to savage again. Alice, was unpredictable. Trixie had no clue how she killed people or why, so who knows what she might to. As for Jeff; she'd seen him in action and she'd seen his temper. To see it again, with no control, would be hell all over again.

Trixie watched Shad intently as he ran the Sickness infused shadows through his fingers, retracting sharply is the current was too strong for fear that it might latch onto him. She couldn't help but wonder, if her insanity was caused by fear that she really was a killer, Ben's was the fear of dying all over again, and Toby's caused by an anger of someone he can't remember; then what was Shad's? Part of her desperately wanted to ask, but she could never do it. It wasn't fair. He'd respected her enough not to ask, it was only Ben opening his mouth that gave any hints. So she would do the same.

But a question she did want to ask, and found that she could, was this: "When we find the others, and Slender, how do we get out of here?"

Ben drifted past her as if lain on his back, arms folded behind his head, "I like how you use the word _When_. Very optimistic."

Toby scoffed, "But 'When' is the right word to use. Just like these words are right; because they're what I want to say. No point in using words that you don't mean or else it gets very confusing."

Ignoring the traces of logic in that rambling, Shad furrowed his brow in thought. In truth he did not know how to get out of this place. His initial plan was to return via the symbol transfer, but he knew that with no one to keep guard above, there was no way he could return the same way. And even if he could, he would not be able to take the others with him. In fact he was replying on snapping Slender back to reality in order to fix that problem.

Not wanting to lie, after all Toby's words rang true: there was no point in using words that you didn't mean, "I don't know. But Slender will have the answers."

"Got to find him first." Toby reminded.

"I _know_ where he is." Shad stated. Wanting to avoid further questioning, he sped up, "And we need to return sooner rather than later. Now keep looking."

At that moment, an ear-splitting cry of guttural rage tore through the air, "GO! TO! SLEEP!"

A more feminine, but by no means calmer voice snarled back, "You don't tell me what to do, you fucker!"

The sound of skin smacking sickeningly against skin made Trixie wince. From around the corner, the thud of a body hitting the wall echoed before the said figure slumped out into the corridor. A mass of wavy copper hair covered its face, but it didn't take long for the figure to look up, hair falling from rage-tinted cheeks. Alice glared up at her attacker and kicked her legs out in defence. Her attacker clenched her ankle, dragging her back out of sight.

The quartet blinked in surprise. Ben nodded half in acceptance, half in disbelief, "Well… that happened."

"Move!" Shad ordered.

The skidded around the corner, watching the struggle that had enveloped before them. Alice had her hair clinging to her face from the sweat of effort, her eyes mostly hidden. She lunged, grabbing Jeff's wrists as he tried to take another swing at her.

"I'm sorry, Liu." He muttered between gasps of air, taking Alive by the throat, "I'll make it all better!"

"Fuck you!" Alice growled, clawing at his scars.

Toby tapped Trixie on the shoulder, face angled in confusion, "So… any idea which one is Sick?"

She gulped, "Not a clue…"

Jeff slammed Alice against the wall, the shadows coiling at her arms as she struggled. Using the most of her energy, she kicked out, foot colliding harshly with his knee, making him double back. She grabbed fistfuls of his charred hair, pulling his head backwards, forcing him to look at her directly, "Snap out of it, Jeff! It's not real!"

"He's real… My brother is real! And I didn't mean it!" he spat, throwing out a fist, catching her off guard and hitting her directly in the jaw.

Shad wanted to go and help in some way, they all did, but no one knew how. Alice stumbled backwards, hand curved around her bruised chin. For a moment, all was still. The silence only shattered by Jeff's low, chilling snickers, eyes charred to the centre, embers of scarlet burning in their centre. Alice swallowed thickly, straightening up to her full height. The bruise on her chin was prominent, and sore. She glared at Jeff, a mixture of malice and determination in her eyes.

"I told you…" she breathed, "_Never_… Hit me… AGAIN!"

She threw herself at him, knocking him off balance and onto his back. They fought for dominance, Alice finally gaining the upper hand only when they slammed into the far wall, not giving room for Jeff to overpower her. She pinned his arms to his sides with her legs as she sat atop his chest, hands gripping around his throat.

"Wake up!" she demanded, "Wake up so I can kill you fairly!"

"Liu… I didn't mean it, Liu…" he muttered blindly, "They lied, Liu… I didn't-I couldn't stop…"

"He's dead, Jeff! Dead and gone!" she slapped him across the face, "Gone!"

The sharp force to his face jolted him, the embers fading for a moment before igniting once more. But it was enough, "Wh-What? Where… Liu? No, but… What the fuck?"

Ben had seen enough, he landed on his feet and loomed over Alice's shoulder, "Need a hand there, Alice? But then again, something tells me you rather like this position."

She flinched at his voice. Her relief to see the others barely noticeable under to furious leer, "Fuck you. Just get him back. I'll kill him if I try anymore."

"You've made a start." Shad reassured, helping her to her feet as Toby and Ben stepped in to restrain the infected, "Yourself?"

"I'm fine." She replied curtly, "Obviously."

Trixie watched on as Alice stepped to the side, gasping for breath and regaining what little strength she had, wiping a small trickle of blood that had started seeping from her chin. Trixie took a step forward, but didn't even know where to start for giving assistance. Instead she looked down at Jeff, struggling as he begged for forgiveness from someone who wasn't there. Is that how she looked when she thought she was at the hospital? she wondered. The notion was quickly pushed aside, that was in the past, it was time to move on. It was time to move on from everything, she realised. She had to. They all did.

* * *

Jeff watched as memories overlapped one another, every single kill and slaughter he committed playing before his eyes. And in each and every one, his brother was there. Watching him. Soaked streaked marks of a stabbing long since passed svandalised his skin. Mournful eyes watched him in fear and disappointment. Jeff couldn't handle that look. He hadn't meant to kill his brother, he just lost control. And he certainly didn't mean to let his brother see all of this. It wasn't fair. It wasn't right. Anyone, he thought, anyone but him. I'm sorry, Liu. I can't stop killing, I enjoy it too much. But… I should have left you out of it. I'm sorry…

A sharp pain across his cheek jolted him back into a dark, shadowed series of corridors. An exhausted woman leant over him, screaming words that became mumbled in his ears. The image only lasted for a second, before his brother dragged him back into the madness. Alice? What was Alice doing here? Where were they? He remembered… But no, he was with Liu… No, Liu was dead! This wasn't real! But his brother was right there… What was going on?

He struggled against the restraints, hoping that to be free of them meant that he could find the truth. But they held firm. What was happening? It was not fear that clawed at him, it was fury. Why did he feel so sick? Wait, he paused, sick…? Sickness! He growled and pushed his brother away from him. I'm sorry, Liu, you know that.

"I'm fine…" he breathed, finally lying still, "You can let me go now you weirdoes, I'm fine…"

"Oh Jeff has rejoined the living, has he?"

He smirked tiredly at the familiar voice, "You tell me, Casper."

"Nah you're still on the boring side." Ben smirked, allowing his friend to sit up.

"Feeling better?" Toby asked, leaning in to inspect the patient, "I helped!"

"I'm fine, Tick-prick." Jeff answered, clutching his head.

"The Sickness should be out of your system for now." Shad stated, noticing the unnatural blackness and red drain from his eyes, "Can you stand?"

Jeff did so, looking over at Alice and Trixie who watched from the sidelines. The blonde curious and slightly fearful, the copper-haired stiff in disgust. He shrugged, "What can you do, eh?"

Trixie tilted her head, "You seem… pretty passive about this."

"Why waste my energy," he demanded, "when I need to save it for a certain fucker who pissed off the wrong guy?" Trixie internally flinched form his manic grin, but standing her ground all the same. Jeff looked over at Alice, a wry glint in his eye as he tapped his own chin to indicate hers, "You've got a little something there."

Alice dabbed again at the blood, "Yeah, look who's talking."

He prodded the swollen handprint on his cheek and pointed at her warningly, "When we get out of here, we settle this."

"Fine by me." She spat, but unable to help the spark in her eyes. Although she would never admit it, she was happy to have him back to his old self. Egotistical and confident. The pushy depressive was just too annoying for her to cope with. No doubt, if she hadn't had been interrupted, she would have tried to kill him, "Speaking of which, how do we get out of here?"

"We find Slender and Jack first." Trixie answered, looking at her surroundings, looking for any sign of life.

"Oh joy…" Alice sighed.

"Wait, back up a minute." Jeff ordered, "How did we get here in the first place? Last I heard you were playing hero and going it alone!"

Shad looked away under the firm stare of his company. He knew that he would have to admit it sooner or later, and apparently sooner was the path to take. He still refused to make eye-contact, but spoke loud and clear, "I did come alone, and I did find Slender. But Zalgo was waiting for me. He gave me a choice. Give my name, or he'd bring all of you here. I… I couldn't give him my name but-"

"You brought us here?" Jeff demanded, throwing his hands out, "I'll kill you, you bastard!"

Shad did not flinch, watching as Jeff's hands clawed aimlessly at his throat. He did not mean to mock him, but he could not let any of them be damaged anymore than they had been already, that also included himself. So he half-merged with the shadows, allowing his attackers limbs to pass through him, "Jeff, you cannot kill me; and you have to let me explain."

Alice grabbed the back of Jeff's hood and hoisted him back, "If you want to get out of here alive I suggest you shut the fuck up now!" she hissed.

"So what did you say?" Toby asked Shad eagerly.

"You didn't give a name, but…?" Trixie added, her own anxiousness pushing her forward.

"I was about to make a deal with him. But he did not let me finish, much like others I could mention." Shad snapped.

Ben folded his arms mockingly, "No need to get passive aggressive on us, Shad. What was this deal exactly?"

"Yes, dear Shadow Lurker, what deal did I supposedly miss out on?"

The voice left an unbearable heat in the air, sticky and putrid as if rot festered in the air. Suddenly, the walls around them collapsed, disintegrating into rubbles of black ash and shadow matter. It moved, swarming around them like a viper, ready to strike. It slithered before them, forming into an almost human shape, although greatly deformed and littered with burning gashes; hands curved into talons as sharp as the teeth producing over strong jaws. Molten eyes narrowed on them, mocking them silently. It towered over them, reaching to a height that would make Slender look human. A dark sneer escaped it, seemingly toying with them.

"Another of your many forms, Zalgo?" Shad assumed, "How thoughtful."

"Aren't I? Now I understand you have a deal for me?"

"Well I was going to offer my services," he said with great strain, as if the idea caused him agony, "I'd return here, permanently… in return for the freedom of Slender and the others…"

"And yet, you did not give me your name. Such a shame…"

"My name is my own!"

Trixie stared in awe, feeling the familiar stiffness of fear taking over her. This still wasn't his natural form? Just how horrific was this creature? She didn't have time to let her imagination wonder. Toby folded his arms forcefully, "Where's Slenderman? Tell us. Now!"

"How noble of you, to stand so strong before me."

"Don't ignore me!"

"Calm down," Ben warned, landing both feet on the ground, "We'll get him."

"It can all be over, you'll be reunited with your master and all of your fears, worries… gone." Zalgo offered calmly, "Why must you fight me so?"

"I've got a few reasons." Jeff snarled.

"What's this all about, Zalgo?" Alice demanded, "You wouldn't go through this amount of hassle for a few Proxy souls."

"You're right," he admitted, "But a world full of human souls, that's another matter."

"Souls…?" Trixie stammered, "I don't…"

"You have your souls." Shad announced, "Don't you dare try and deny it!"

"I'm hardly satisfied. Oh I'm sorry, we seem to be leaving your friends in the dark. You see, it's a common face, humans are not categories to separate. There is no good and evil with them, your master was foolish to assume so. He tried to make a deal with me, you see, I would allow him to leave and act the noble hero ridding the world of the cruel, and in return he would send me two thirds of the souls he collects. Simple enough. But you see, he didn't keep his part."

"That's a lie." Shad stated, "You know that he sent you more than your assigned share."

"Hardly, what I received was nowhere near enough what I was promised. So as I understand, it was high time the old ways returned. There is no sense in separating human souls when in the end one is just as good to feed upon than the other."

"So.. you're spreading the Sickness to anyone that takes your fancy because-and I'm just paraphrasing here… but because you're hungry?" Ben asked, cocking an eyebrow musingly.

"There are other ways, man." Jeff commented.

"It's not about hunger, you ignorant waste of brandment!"

"Souls mean life." Shad explained darkly, "The more souls he receives and devours, the stronger his ability to survive is. It's the same for Slender… and his Proxies."

Trixie stared at him in horrified realisation, "So all those people you kill, when Slender takes their souls it doesn't just extend his life, but ours too?"

"Thanks Mr. Exposition," Alice sneered openly, "That would have been good to know!"

Zalgo snickered, "I do admire the honesty that Slender had with you Lurker. Too bad it amounts to nothing. Jack, by a good boy and play with your friends. I'd like to have my entertainment before my victory."

"Jack?" Toby asked, "What does Jack have to do with… Oh…"

A small figure hunched in agony stumbled from the blackness, a flood of tears staining his iced cheeks. He looked up at Zalgo, almost as if begging for mercy, but the notion was brushed aside as his empty eyes locked on those who were once known to him as his comrades. For a split second, Jack could sense them. Trixie winced at the sight of him. What had Zalgo done to him? Bile rose in her throat as he stumbled forward, his mournful expression melting into rage. And without a second thought to who he was attacking, the lust for blood overtook him. Jack lunged, grabbing the first person he could. He didn't care anymore. He couldn't sense anything now. It was perfect isolation. He was alone. He was numb to the blood he drew. He was oblivious to the infection under his skin. Eyeless Jack, was gone.

**A/N:**

**No Jack, no! So what'll happen in the next chapter? Will the others snap Jack out of it? Will Slender be found? Will the Sickness come back? Will I ever stop sounding like a sitcom narrator? It's a definite… maybe! Until next time guys! XD**


	19. Clouds of the Mind

**A/N:**

**Well I've left you hanging long enough. And I'll do it a little longer, with a flashback! XD**

Jack couldn't sense his comrades though his empty eyes. He couldn't feel the darkness around him or the creature that was seething its way into his mind. Instead, all he sensed was woodland. And he was… happy. No, not happy, he had just been happy and now the feeling was starting to fade away into confusion. Woodland? Where am I, he wondered. He stood in a clearing, surrounded by thick trunks of simple pine trees, he only had to tilt his head ever so slightly to hear the tops of them swaying in the breeze. He hadn't been here in a long time. The last time he was here, he could actually see the trees and night sky instead of just having to sense out their details. The smell of pine and the chill of the air, it just wasn't the same. Not since the accident…

He ran a finger over his useless eyes briefly before stretching out in his sleeping-bag, hands brushing against the cheap fabric of the tent he was lain in. But he furrowed his brow in confusion. Shouldn't he have accidently nudged against his parents sleeping forms? He had earlier that night, where were they now? Jack searched in literal blindness, but all he found was the bundles of blankets that had turned cold from abandonment. He was alone. He wasn't meant to be alone. He was adjusting to his recent… adjustment. He needed someone to help him. Why did his parents leave him?

"Mom? Dad?" he called involuntarily, scrambling to the tents door and loosening it, letting the bitter air seep inside, "Where'd you go?"

As he stood out in the open, he realised that he hadn't meant to call out, but he was too anxious to stay in the quiet. A simple tent sat behind him, empty and chilled from the night air. He had to find his parents, they couldn't have gone far. Jack reached back into the tent and pulled out an old black hoody that was a little on the large side for his scrawny sixteen year old body. But then again, it was his fathers, and he had to keep warm. The forest night was already starting to tint his lips with an icy shade of blue. He had to hurry before he froze to death. Secretly he cursed his parents for choosing the coldest weekend of the month to go on a camping trip, but he was willing to forgive them if he could just find them now. Bravely, he stepped out into the gloom, scrunching up his nose in disgust as the dew from the grass sunk right through his shoes.

"Hello?" he called out when he reached the tree-line, his hands brushing roughly against the wood, not feeling brave enough to enter the unknown just yet, "Are guys okay?"

He received no answer, and the suffocating panic was starting to rise, clawing at the back of his throat. He'd never felt more alone than at that moment. Why did his parents leave him there? Where were they? What was going on? He didn't like this, it wasn't right. Something wasn't right here! Jack couldn't stand it anymore. He had to find them. The deafening silence was taunting him, but he couldn't just sit there anymore. The isolation was strangling him. For the first time since childhood, Jack started to cry for his parents.

"Mom! Dad!" he yelled, worry-filled tears seeping from his unfocussed eyes, "Where are you?"

In answer, the silence mocked him further by releasing a pain-sliced scream, ripping at his ears and sending him turning aimlessly in search for the source. Arms out in front of him, Jack rushed forward, deeper into the woodland. Branches clawed at his face but he didn't dare stop. Anything could have been watching him, but he didn't care. At least that meant he wasn't alone anymore. He needed to find his parents to be sure. But he didn't have a clue where to start. Grunts of effort and anger tore through his sobs, forcing shrubs and branches aside. Suddenly, something solid struck his foot, sending him falling forward into a puddle.

Jack spat out the oddly metallic tasting damp and ran his hands over the undergrowth. What had he tripped on? And… why was this puddle so warm? He flinched when he felt something smooth, and slightly heated, like a radiator that was cooling down at a rapid pace. Cautiously, he continued to explore with his palms. It was solid, and a lot longer than he expected. Were those… shoulders? A head? Finally, his fingertips dipped, denting into a damp, hollow crevice that sank deep into the jagged folds of torn skin. The coppery smell burning his nostrils, soaking into his skin. Slowly, he brought a finger to his mouth, licking the salted liquid from his skin. He froze, feeling both disgust and intrigue as he found the test somewhat inviting. But he retracted as he knew what it was. Blood…

"D-Dad…" he whimpered, recalling the curled hair and square jaw. His hands brushed another figure, but he was too fearful to continue, "Mom…?"

Something moved behind him. Something that could have easily been mistaken for the wind whistling through the trees. Jack span around, looking for a sign of his observer. Its breathing, the steps it took, anything!

"What did you do? Who are you?" he demanded, voice aching from effort, "Tell me!" Only silence. Empty, isolating silence. Was he alone again? He didn't know. He just didn't know anymore! "Don't leave me!"

* * *

Zalgo smirked, keeping a safe distance from the Proxies in order to observe the full fight. It was his sick entertainment, and he loved it. The boy's memories were so easy to gain. Names carry more than just a label, they carry an identity. An identity, that Zalgo was now in control of.

"You're going to leave me…"

Trixie shook her head as the boy gripped his hands around her throat, pressing his thumbs into the area above her pulse, "No, no we won't…" she rasped, desperately trying to back away but unable to free herself.

"Such lies." Zalgo mocked, "All they do is lie, Jack. And they will leave you."

"Don't fall for that shit." Ben warned, grabbing Jack's shoulders and tugging him backwards harshly, resulting in the three of them jarring in the same direction.

"You won't be alone here, my boy."

Jeff hunched his shoulders in defence, smacking an elbow down on the boy's wrists, forcing him to release Trixie out of shock, "No, you'll just be a mindless minion until he gets hungry."

"It killed them… they left me…" Jack muttered, the black ooze dripping from his chin, "Everyone leaves me!"

Trixie drank in the air greedily, hardly noticing when Alice shoved her to the side, "Out of the way newbie!"

Toby jumped back as Jack lunged forward again, the noise of his joint cracking catching the attackers attention. He swung a fist, colliding harshly with Toby's cheek. However, Toby did not react apart from quivering his head slightly. "Come on buddy, you know you're not meant to fight with us." Jack hit him again, but Toby still didn't react, "I take it you want to hurt someone?"

"No shit!" Jeff growled, hoisting the infected backwards by the hood of his jacket, "Snap the fuck out of it!"

The boy fell to the floor, unable to move as Jeff's foot thumped onto his chest. Zalgo watched in amusement at the struggle. That poor boy had been stupid enough, no stupid wasn't the word… _Desperate_ enough, to hand over his name, and now it was only a matter of time before the others gave in. Yes, the scarred boy was right. He was just keeping the boy as a tool for now. He needed all of them in his control. And if not control, than in his Sickness. And it had to be all of them. That way, when he chose to pull Slender out of his Sickness induced state, he could show what a waste he was. It would become so clear, that it was pointless for Slender ignore his nature. Things were so much more rewarding when the tools you collect are so easy to dispose of. It was pointless to keep them around like this for too long. They may be Proxies, but they were still human for the most part. And thus, built for disposal. _His_ disposal. And soon Slender would realise this. Once he saw all of his followers in ruin anyway.

Alice tried to assist in pining Jack to the floor, avoiding his arms thrusting outwards in hopes of causing harm, "Don't make me hurt you, Jack!"

"You're not allowed to kill us, remember?" Toby tried, "Slendy set the rules, you don't kill other Proxies! That's what he told us!"

Zalgo scoffed, "Oh, dear _Slendy_ told you that did he? How pitiful."

"You're pitiful!" Toby snapped.

Shad took his shoulder and pulled him back a step, "Don't talk to him, Toby, it's what he wants. Help them."

Jack was still thrashing on the ground, managing to get a leg free and kicking Jeff in the shin, causing a scrape on his pale skin, not deep, but enough for the blood to seep through his jeans ever so slightly. Jeff jumped back, but regained his balance, swiftly slamming a foot down on Jack's ankle with a sickening crunch. Jack didn't seem to notice, slashing out his arms to lock around Alice's arms, pulling her with surprising strength, forcing her to drop to her knees. His fist collided with her jaw, fingers spreading to claw at her neck, raw scrapes trailing over her collarbone. Ben grabbed Jack's iced cheeks, delivering large voltages of static to try and snap him back to their harsh reality. The boy didn't register. It was as if his entire being was numb from Sickness. Toby tried to wrap his arms around Jack's legs to keep him still, but did so with great difficulty. For Toby was fighting urges of his own. Normally when someone fought back, they didn't do so for long.

Trixie watched on, eyes wide and feet rooted to the spot. Not again, she begged. Why was this happening? Part of her wanted to help. To be the person she was before when she was helping Toby, or standing up to Zalgo. But somehow she'd slipped back into her fearful, frozen state. She was disgusted in herself. Jack continued to flail at her comrades, trying desperately to cause whatever damage he could. But he wasn't skilful or timed at all, in fact it was more of an act of blind rage. Whereas the others were rash yet cautious, their experience was coming though and almost as if they planned out every single move and attack before performing it. They knew how to attack him without causing direct harm, not by moral choice evidently, simply because they knew that dealing with Slender afterwards was not worth the hassle. It was simple when she saw it like this. Jack was a puppet controlled by Zalgo, but Zalgo didn't know how to fight.

"Shad…" she dared, "What happens now?"

Shadow Lurker looked at the four fighting to keep the animalistic boy on the ground. They wouldn't hold him for much longer, not while the Sickness was so strong in his mind. He wished that he had the strength, the ability, to take charge of this. But he just didn't. And he was revolted by the idea that he could not live up to the standards others had for him. The ones that his mentor expected of him, "We need Slender."

"Where is he?"

Shad ignored the question, glaring up at the distorted figure that was too occupied with watching the conflict he was creating before him. The form towered over them, scarlet eyes alight with amusement, "Zalgo!"

The creature glanced at him as if he were no more than an insignificant smudge on the ground, "Yes?"

"I'll give you what you want."

"What are you doing?" Trixie hissed fearfully.

"Repeat that." Zalgo sneered, slithering his ashen form a little closer.

"I said I'll give you what you want, providing you do likewise for me."

"You dare bargain with me?"

"Can you not take what you've bee handing out?"

Zalgo snarled menacingly, "You mock me, but I'll listen…"

"Shad, what are you doing?" Trixie tried again, unsure if she should back away or step closer, "Don't!"

"Let everyone go. Jack, Slender, and the others. And once they are; I'll give you want you want."

"And tell me, Shadow Lurker, what exactly do I want?"

"Power. You want it, and I can provide it."

Zalgo contemplated him, studied him. He recognised the truth in his words, but didn't understand how he would achieve it. However it would be entertaining to discover how. After all, why not humour the demon-wannabe for now? It wasn't as if he couldn't just reposes them again later. He had enough to control to achieve this, "I highly doubt you can follow through with your part of the bargain, but I can see the interest in adding another player to the game. Oh look, here he is now…"

Zalgo casually stepped aside, the ash and debris at his deformed feet shifting awkwardly, to reveal a figure. Tall by any standards, wearing a suit and standing with its back to them. Ivory limbs extended from its back, writhing in the air aimlessly, threateningly. Slenderman. Shad rushed forward, but as he found once before, his mentor was unresponsive and distant. He was still engulfed in Sickness and delusions.

"I said if you let them all go, I'd give you what you wanted. I suggest you comply, now." He warned.

"I hand out Sickness, Shadow Lurker, not take it away. But I'll admit, it'll be hilarious watching your attempts to revive them. You'll give me what I want sooner or later, regardless of how my end of the deal gets repaid. Oh, and by the way, I'd give some attention to you friend back there." He cackled, drifting backwards to get a better view of the fight.

Shad turned in time to see Jack throw his head forward, thudding audibly against Alice's, forcing her to tilt away in dizziness. With the sudden slack, the boy pulled an arm free, bending his elbow and stabbing it through the air. Jeff moved his head to avoid being hit, but the action only resulted in the air being pushed out of him as the elbow dug into his throat, making him cough. Feeling no pain, Toby didn't understand what had happened when his legs were knocked out from under him, but the warm dampness flooding from his nose told him that Jack had attacked. Ben had released Jack before the struggle broke out, trying to reach Zalgo, but never getting close enough before a wave of molten ash blew him backwards, the dregs of Sickness clogging in his throat. Shad rushed to his side, only to be waved off in forced passiveness.

Toby looked conflicted, "I'm not allowed to kill him!"

Alice held her head, "Then just hurt him enough to keep him still."

Jeff glowered as he rubbed his bruised throat, eye twitching in frustration, "Yeah… Just like he's _sleeping_…"

Trixie braced herself as a wave of darkness came her way, but it was simply a distraction. For as soon as she averted her eyes, Jack grabbed a handful of her hair pulling her backwards and jabbing his free fist between her shoulder blades, winding her. He didn't seem to notice that his ankle was twisted at an odd ankle courtesy of Jeff's boot; he limped on. She cried out in pain, not wanting to defend herself due to the knowledge that it was not Jack who was doing this. But she couldn't help the fearful instinct as it forced her hands into clawing at his, desperate for freedom. His empty eyes were sunken under the pools of black that dribbled down his face.

"Why won't you all just die?" he asked cruelly in a voice that wasn't his, "You all know what it's like to be alone!"

"Yes…" she admitted, gasping for air as he forced her neck backwards, "If you kill us, then you _will_ be alone…"

He didn't relent, the hand tangled in her hair clenching brutally, "I'll be alone anyway."

"You won't." she whimpered, "And I'm sorry about this." Her fist swung upwards, colliding with a satisfying smack against the side of his head. The boy didn't feel the pain, but the blow was enough to cloud his mind for a brief moment. Trixie took her chance and ripped away from him, yelping as some strands of her hair remained in his fingers. She turned and shoved him away, eyes damp with apology and pain as he stumbled back into the grasp of Toby. Shad separated the pair before one of them had the chance to snap the others neck. Taking a chance, Trixie stepped away, clutching her throbbing hand. She had to get to Slenderman, she knew that she wasn't going to be able to help in any way. But she needed to feel as if she was trying.

"How you holding up, Trix?" Ben asked, eyes darting around to make sure Zalgo wasn't going to go against his intentions of observing the struggle. His voice was light and sardonic as usual, but strained with effort, the scarlet in his eyes burning brighter than normal.

"I'm fine." She lied, ignoring the knuckle in her hand that looked oddly out of place. Broken or dislocated, she didn't know, or care, "You're crying…"

He rubbed his eyes stubbornly, "This Sickness is a bitch."

"Can you control it?"

Zalgo sniggered at that. But Ben continued, "Sure I can, Slendy on the other hand…"

Trixie turned her their protector. It gave her a feeling of isolation and pity to see him like this. Which confused her because apart from her recruitment, she'd never had a real conversation with him. She didn't know him, yet she wanted him back with them. The snake-like tendrils from his back coiled and flicked like wines caught in a storm. It was as if he was going up against something they couldn't see, trying to disarm it, and yet he kept his body perfectly still as if caught in a trance. Ben narrowed his eyes in thought, trying to push the infected gloom from his mind, but the suffocating sensation of being surrounded by water was difficult to ignore.

"How to we wake him up?" Trixie asked, "Unlike Jeff and Alice I doubt hitting him will do much good."

"Yeah it doesn't work for all of us…" he replied bitterly, recalling Toby punching him in the jaw to try and pull him back to reality, "Come on, Trix, if you have any sparks if brilliance left, I'd love to hea-" Ben trailed off, a different kind of glint in his eyes, "Never mind, I did the job for you."

"What are you going to do?" she asked anxiously, noticing that Zalgo was starting to glare at them quizzically.

"You see I'm not the only one who's got a gift for carrying interference." He smirked, rubbing his hands together, static cracking from the friction, "Ever tried to watch TV with Slendy around? Never works."

"So… how…?"

"Think when a positive," he held up one hand, "Meets a negative." The hand landed firmly on Slender's head, static and sparks biting at their skin, jolting the pair of them as if been forced into an electrical socket. Ben winked, "_Light-bulb_!"

**A/N:**

**But will it work? We'll see…**


	20. Revival

**A/N:**

**So is Ben's 'bright' idea going to work out? Let's find out!**

Slender stalked his prey through the darkness, watching them as they fled from him. Part of him sympathised with them, wanting to stop right where he was and turn back. But the other part of him wouldn't let him. He had to collect, he had to stalk, or else the deal would fall through. And as much as he felt the traces of guilt at his work, he knew that it was what it was. Work. And it needed to be done. So many victims, and he was running out of time. One ran past him, screaming in fear as his viper-like tendrils failed to catch them. And another. There were so many. They were everywhere. He couldn't collect them all. Why were they moving so fast? This wasn't right. All the eyes he saw were cracked from terror, charred into an abyss with a flamed centre.

He was struggling. No, struggling wasn't the word. He was failing. But he needed to continue. Not only for his own sake but for the others too. He had to get back to them before they noticed he was gone. But he wasn't finished. But he couldn't catch them. But the others. But. But. But… He couldn't go on like this. This wasn't right. Something was wrong!

Suddenly, he felt an immense pressure surging under his skull. He hunched his shoulders in pain, his porcelain skin alive with crackles of electricity. The scenery around him became distorted, greying into a gritted picture of static and shadows. Slender gazed on in confusion, not understanding what was happening to him. The echoes of familiar voices tore their way through the chaos, hitting him with such force that it was almost enough to bruise him. Everything was contorting, even the air seemed dense enough to crumple into shards of a jigsaw puzzle. A puzzle that was now reshaping itself. Slender straightened himself, registering the patterns with a dark sense realisation.

_I think it's time to regain whatever dignity I can… Thank you, Zalgo, I won't hear the end of this…_

* * *

Trixie watched in awe and repulsion as Ben passed on his electrical charge into their mentor. The Sickness wasn't easy to breath through, and with every second Ben held on, his eyes became deeper engulfed in darkness. Sparks sizzled at his skin, leaving tiny welts behind, some darted into the air, twice burning at Trixie's cheeks. Slender wasn't moving, seemingly unconscious to the process. Water started dribbling from the corner of his mouth as the Sickness started to force his death through his mind once more. Suddenly, Slender's fingers started to twitch, the limbs from his back drooping back into control.

"Ben, let go!" Trixie ordered.

"D-Dad… Don't…"

Not again, she begged, ignoring all her instincts and lunging forward, grabbing his shoulders and pulling him backwards. Pain shot through her hands as the voltage burned her, "Ben, it's working, let go!" She turned around to the others who were still desperately trying to restrain Jack, "Help me!"

Toby hit the ground, fists clenched around Jack's wrist as he fought to avoid being clawed at. He lifted his leg to slam his boot against his attackers chest, sending him stumbling back into Jeff's waiting arms, pining him in place while Alice collided her fist against his jaw in hopes of stunning him. Shad gripped the boys head in his milky-white hands, glaring at him with a mixture of pleading and rage, yelling at him, ordering him to realise what was real and what was not. There was no one to help. No one was free.

Trixie gritted her teeth through the slices coursing through her skin, giving another attempt at pulling Ben from his electrified Sickness. A cry tore her throat as she threw herself backwards, fingernails digging into his skin in effort to free him. With a sound that resembled something as simple as the tearing of Velcro, the pair of them were thrown to the ground. Trixie skidded on the ground, shaking the dizziness from her and turning back to the spectre next to her.

"Wake up!" she ordered, shaking him forcefully as she could see the ashen demon snaking its way towards them.

Ben shivered, spitting a mouthful of water away and wincing as he spoke, "Well that was an experience…"

"You shouldn't have done that!" Zalgo threatened, coiling an ashen limb around Ben and Trixie, slamming their bodies together and lifting them from the ground towards his flaming eyes.

Ben narrowed his eyes, "Two things. First of all that's _my_ line. And second…"

Trixie stopped struggling just enough to catch sight of something flickering in a twisted sense of familiarity. She forced her words out, picking up where Ben left off, "Turn around."

Zalgo, however, did not get the chance. The creature let out a strangled cry as an inky black tentacle looped around his neck, forcing him to rotate to face his unseen pursuer. But all he came face to face with, was a empty void of white sitting atop a black formal suit. The moment he locked his flaming eyes on the now animate figure, an echoing voice vibrated in his mind.

_If it's me you have an issue with, Zalgo, then I insist you face me… Now put them down…_

"Slendy!" Toby cried, "You're moving!"

"Holy fuck…" Jeff caught sight of his mentor, almost losing his grip on Jack.

"Sir?" Shad dared, unsure if what he was seeing as an act of free will or another Zalgo trick.

"No offence but it's about time!" Alice snapped, hand clawed around Jack's throat.

_I couldn't agree more, Alice… _Slender replied, not turning away from the ashen creature before him, _And please loosen your grip on young Jack, we don't want him dead now, do we…_

"That's a matter of opinion, Slender, how nice of you to join us." Zalgo sneered, using a limb of debris to slap the tendril away, releasing his two captives in the process.

_Don't mock me, now release my Proxy…_

"He handed his name over to me of his own free will. He's fair game now."

_As long as he bares my marking, he is still under my watch… Don't make me call you a thief as well as a double-crosser…_

"Tut-tut, Slenderman, if anyone has acted as a double-crosser it would be you. I gave you my word that you could do as you wished in the over-world as long as I received my share of what you collect!"

_A deal I have stood by…_

"Liar! You've been holding out on me, my friend."

_I've done no such thing…_

"Ah but you have. Because you chose to be picky! A soul is a soul and you are a fool to think there is a difference between good and bad. They are labels created by mortals to make them feel superior and free! You've been depriving yourself, Slender, and this depriving me. And I can't have that."

_Don't be ridiculous…_ Slender yelled through his mind.

"What's ridiculous is the amount of Proxies you keep!"

Behind them, the group had reassembled, all giving a hand on keeping Jack under control. They watched the argument, Slender's words snaking through their minds as well as Zalgo's. They knew not to interrupt, the power these two demons held was colossal. Any attempt at interfering would no doubt end in disaster. And not just for them. All they could do was observe. Toby flexed his fists in anger, a nerve under his eye twitching almost as much as the tick in his neck.

"Cool it, Toby." Alice warned in a whisper.

"I just want Slendy to kick his ass before I do!" he hissed.

"You won't get the chance." Shad stated firmly, "This is not a matter of battle and brawn. Those count for little here."

"What do you mean?" Trixie asked, her hands blistered and sore.

"Mind games." Shad answered, "And insanity. Prime example here." He added, looking in mourning at Jack's savage behaviour.

"Shut up!" Jeff hissed, "They're talking about us."

Ben rolled his eyes, wanting to comment on Jeff's ego even in a situation such as this, but restrained himself out of pure curiosity. The two demons stood face to face, the burnt darkness slashed with flames to the flawless coldness illuminated in its emptiness. Slender felt a knot of rage coiling in his chest, but he would not present it for the likes of one rogue. It was not worth the trouble. Zalgo however, was fuming to a point that he was practically enflamed by the embers inside of him. He was gathering his sickness, coiling it around Slender in the attempt of containing his mind once more. But now it was not so easy. Slender was not only aware of the Sickness, he was also guiding it around himself. Like Zalgo, he was a manipulator of the Sickness, there wasn't a demon that wasn't, how else would he gather Proxies and souls? But there is a catch. If a demon is not aware of another demons presence, then they are perfectly in a position to be controlled. Slender was no longer at that disadvantage.

"Proxies are tools, toys if you will for our entertainment!" Zalgo snarled, "You use them, to get what you want and then you dispose of them. It's simple enough! Why do you torment them so? Forcing them to kill for an action that you alone are responsible for. You made the deal, why collect your burden further? Technically, they should have been harvested for their actions before even encountering you!"

_No…_ Slender returned with determination, _They all have their reasons and pasts of why they in this position, and frankly I deem them valid of forgiveness… It is one thing to kill and submit to insanity for sheer curiosity and cruelty, it is by far another to be forced there by others…_

"How about these two?" Zalgo sneered, snatching Jeff and Toby from the ground, thick digits snaking across the distance to coil around their throats as he lifted them up behind him pointedly, "If I recall, these two were the ones that _forced_ another into this position. Doesn't that make them suited for reaping?"

Trixie fell ridged. They'd put her here because of their mistake. He was using her as an excuse to kill them. Slender hunched in warning, _Don't you touch them…_

"Oh? Don't tell me you've come to care for your Proxies, Slender, now that really is moronic." He laughed, ignoring the kicks and grunts of anger and discomfort from his captives, "But you didn't answer me. They killed at the cost of another Proxy. In some form so have the others, but this seems to be the most recent. Tell me, Slender, shouldn't they die for their actions?"

_No… It was a mistake, one that cannot be corrected but it's in the past... And I forbid you to punish them while they are under my charge…_

"And how does the victim herself feel?" Zalgo demanded, turning his head to Trixie, who flinched under his scolding gaze, "They killed your family, and people blamed you. All those chemicals and drugs forced into your system, the accusing faces and cold words, all because of them. I've seen your mind, you despised them, hated them. Now here's your chance to get your revenge."

Trixie felt all eyes on her. The mixture of cruel and challenging to the determined and quizzical. She held her breath involuntarily, looking from one face to another in desperate plea for help. Finally, she looked up at the two murders in question. Jeff glared down at her, hands dug into the restraint around his neck in attempts to free himself and stop the pull of gravity choking him. His unblinking eyes studied her coldly, as always; he was giving nothing away what was going on in his mind. Toby, although his hands were similarly tense in an attempts of providing air and freedom, his body hung limp. His eyes, hidden behind amber glasses, were staring at her with a childish plea, face angled slightly to the side where he was repressed from twitching. It was then that she realised, their lives were being offered to her.

Of course, she knew that if Zalgo had his way, they would all die in the next hour regardless of her answer. But at least she would have the satisfaction of seeing them go first. They were murderers, insane and unpredictable. They'd slaughtered her parents in their sleep, tearing their throats as if it was a simple chore. She'd stood there, frozen as they hacked away at Ollie's flesh, relishing in the feel of his blood. Her little brother, gone. Her parents, gone. Her life, gone. And she was starting to think her sanity, gone. All because of them! There was a time when she'd give anything to see them suffer like this, a part of her still did. But… they hadn't intended to hurt her. They didn't even know her when they started the kill. It was just a job. A job where they made an honest yet horrific mistake that dragged her into this world. They didn't mean to do this. But they did it all the same.

She wanted to sob, but the sound caught in her throat. Killers, but people all the same, with pasts and personalities like any other. But they had killed her family, and with one word, she could get them back for it.

"Yes…" she answered feebly.

The creature sneered at Slender, tightening his grip on his captives, "See, even the doomed know tha-"

"Yes it's a chance for revenge I mean." Trixie interrupted, raising her voice which was tight and sore, "But…B-but I wouldn't take it."

Zalgo glowered at her, "What?"

Fear made her voice shake, and she wasn't trying to be brave, she felt far from it. But she continued, simply being honest. She didn't make eye contact with the creature, choosing to focus her words on Slender so that she didn't feel so intimidated, "I know what they did, and yes I'm angry but… It wasn't personal, and it was a mistake… I-I forgive them." I'm not a killer, she thought, And I'm not the kind of person who could watch someone die for my own personal satisfaction.

"Even after all they did?" Zalgo urged, voice lowering from frustration, "Look at what they've made you become!"

"I'm a Proxy." She stated, hand tentatively moving to her shoulder to cover her brand, "So what?"

Zalgo pulled back his deformed lips to show rows of jagged fangs that curved and pointed like talons, "Like your opinion matters. You're all g-"

What they were all going to do was never announced. Slender took advantage of the hesitation, slashing a long arm outwards, milky fingers sinking into the ashen debris of Zalgo's throat. A tendril snaking from his back and flicking outwards, stabbing into Zalgo's chest and impaling him, a cloud of dust shattering to the ground. The creature snarled in agony throwing his captives to the ground to coil his arm around the wound, rancid burns seeping through the darkness. Jeff inhaled sharply, not taking time to recuperate in the ability to breath and instead clenching his fists to try and take a shot at his previous attacker. He was however interrupted by Toby tackling him to the ground again, eyes wide as he stared up at his mentor in awe. He'd been waiting to see Slender do something like this, he wasn't going to let Jeff spoil the show.

Zalgo grunted as Slender retracted the limb, leaving a burning hole of crumbling Sickness particles, "You think I can be killed, Slenderman? You think I will fall at a simple attack?"

_I know you better, I do not underestimate you twice…_

"Good." He rasped, Slender's fingers still embedded in his gullet.

_But I am, however, willing to make another deal with you…_

"Don't tempt me with deals and bargains you cannot keep. Isn't that why you're here to begin with? If I recall, one of your precious Proxies made a verbal trade with me not long ago."

Shad narrowed his eyes, "I promised I'd give you what you wanted if you set them free. And what you want is a fair challenge against Slender. Naturally it wasn't your first desire, but you can't deny that I'm right."

"Ha! You've trained your pets well, my friend. He makes a point. But I don't like to be tricked!"

_No trickery, just lack of specifics which you should already be more than cautious of…_ Slender commented, glancing at his friend with an unreadable sense of pride. _I am and always will be a being of my word and you are mistaken to accuse me otherwise, and to include Proxies under my charge is an entirely different level of obscenity against our kind... But in the name of our kind, I'm willing to make a proposal that you would be foolish to ignore… My only request, send them back…_

"Sir." Shad insisted, not liking where this was going.

"Think about this Slendy," Ben warned, "He's not exactly the friendliest person around here…"

Zalgo sniggered, air hissing through his clogged wounds, "And what do I get out of this?"

_That will be discussed when you allow me to send them back… _Slender tightened his grip, _I don't think you're in a position to argue with me…_

The Proxies watched on, waiting for Zalgo to make his next move. They weren't sure what they wanted most. Jack was still struggling against Alice and Ben's restraint, they needed to get him away from the Sickness. And honestly they each wanted nothing more than to be back in their hideaway home. But was it worth leaving behind their mentor with a demon of this power? They didn't know. However, their answer was given to them in the form of the ground pulsating beneath them, churning like quick-sand under their feet.

Zalgo smirked, "I'm all ears."

_Good…_

"B-But Slendy…" Toby pleaded as he and the others sunk up to their knees in the abyss.

_I'll be along shortly… You have my word…_

**A/N:**

**Not sure what to put here, lol, but thanks again for all the comments and support, you guys are awesome! Until next time! XD**


	21. Thinking the Time Away

**A/N:**

**So where are they now? And what about Slender? Mostly filler chapter this one, but stil, you might like it… Read on and lets see! XD**

Trixie gasped as the light poured down around her, drinking in the air with such desperation that she almost choked. Why was it so bright? Was she dead? No, she felt pretty alive. But then again Ben was dead and he was pretty lively. Speaking of Ben, where was he and the others? She forced herself to sit up groggily, the walls of her throat sore as if scratched by thorns. Her eyes felt like they were coated in dust, they felt so dry as she blinked. She held the side of her head as the room span, forcing her to lay down again so stop herself from vomiting. However that only reminded her of the sore welts on her palms from interfering with the static. It gradually came to her that something damp was nudging her elbow. She flinched and shifted away, forcing her eyes to focus.

A small animate shape, skin raw and burnt a blistering read while patches of blackened fur grew in clumps over its body. A grotesque muzzle was stretched unnaturally to show of oddly human-like teeth in a permanent sneer. Trixie swallowed a shriek as recognition sunk in, "S-Smile?"

The deformed canine exhaled through his nose in some form of confirmation, nudging her again and looking around the room as if unsettled by something. Trixie patted his head timidly as she strained herself to sit upright again, happy with the idea that if she was looking at a face that hadn't been in that hell, then maybe she was out of it. She followed his gaze. It turned out that the bright light was coming from the light-bulb that she was sitting under, casting illuminations along the whitewashed walls. A twisted mixture of relief and anxiousness escaped her in a sigh as she saw the bodies around her. She knew each one and became thankful as they stirred.

Alice was sitting with her back against the wall, arms folded atop her bent knees and staring up at the ceiling as if trying to stop her head spinning. On the floor beside her, Jack lay still, the only sign of movement the painfully slow rise and fall of his chest. Jeff and Toby seemed in similar states, although Jeff was conscious, unblinking eyes shaking as if still enraged. It seemed that the only ones that had managed to make it to their feet were Shad and Ben. The spectre hovering near the ceiling and the demon crouched over Jack.

Jeff broke the silence by slamming his fists into the floor before pushing himself up, "Where the hell are we this time?"

"It's not fucking Narnia, Jeffy-boy…" Alice spat.

Shad answered warily, "The Informer by the looks of it. We were sent back…"

"No kidding." Ben nodded matter-of-factly, looking as if he was almost enjoying the confusion, "After Slendy decided to be all noble on us, here we are. It's about time you woke up, it's been boring just waiting here."

"How long were we out for?" Trixie asked nervously, voice tight from the soreness.

"Forget it, it's only been about ten minutes or so."

"Why not wake us up then?" Toby pointed out, suddenly sitting bolt upright and pointing a finger at him.

Jeff raised his fists in surprise, "Fuck! Wait, you're awake?"

Toby nodded and got to his feet as if he was perfectly fine, "Yeah, I woke up a minute ago but I didn't want to be left out so I stayed down."

"Idiot…" Alice breathed as Trixie smirked to herself despite the situation.

Shad sighed mournfully as he tried to move the conversation forward, "You're all ignoring the main issue. Yes we might be home, but Slender is still there with that… that… that demon!"

Jeff snapped his fingers, "Damn, I really thought you were going to swear."

"One day…" Ben nodded musingly.

Trixie was with Shad on this one, she didn't understand how they could joke around like this and act like nothing had happened. It didn't just make all they'd done look like a waste of time, it also gave the impression that Slender was not worth the trouble. She looked up at Shad, allowing Smile to bite her jacket sleeve to pull her to her feet, "What happens now? Do we wait or try and go back or…? I don't know how this works."

"No one does." Shad admitted.

"Believe it or not, it's not something that happens a lot around here." Alice growled.

"I was just asking." Trixie returned.

"Oh now she's getting lippy." Jeff sneered mockingly.

"I'm not getting lippy I'm just asking the question that we're all thinking." She insisted. A mixture of leftover fear and current irritation hissing inside of her. How dare they treat her like this again! She'd just been through the exact same thing as the rest of them, she'd seen and heard the same threats and the delusions and it was her mentor who was left behind as well as theirs. Her eyes narrowed, "And don't talk to me like that. None of you have a right to. So instead of picking on an easy target because you're scared, how about you do something about it?"

"Scared?" Jeff demanded, finally getting to his feet, "What exactly is that supposed to mean?"

Trixie swallowed thickly. She'd said it now, there was no going back, "Without Slender you are all on your own, and you don't know how to take it. You're all just too big-headed to actually admit that you want him back so you cover it up by taking the piss out of the newbie! Just… fuck off."

There was a tense silence where Trixie wasn't sure if Alice and Jeff were going to laugh at her or swing for her. But she stood her ground, albeit having to clench her fingers to stop them trembling. But she didn't dare blink for fear of her point being lost. Finally, Jeff simply scoffed and folded his arms as if the very idea of arguing was so laughable and pathetic it wasn't worth his time to do so. Alice however gave a dark sneer, signalling the same notions as Jeff, only with a threatening tint to it.

"Think what you like newbie."

"_I_ think…" Ben interjected slyly, "Some appreciation is in order. Personally."

Jeff scowled at the spectre, "What're you talking about?"

Ben arched an eyebrow with knowing smugness as he lowered himself and put an arm on Trixie's shoulders almost patronisingly, glancing between Jeff and Toby, "Back down there, one word from Trix here and Zalgo would have snapped your necks like a twig."

"What's your point?"

"Point being, she said no." he smirked to deliberately annoy the killer, "She saved your ass."

Trixie knew for a fact that wasn't true. Zalgo would have killed them no matter what. All she did was accidently but luckily throw him off for Slender to make a move. In her eyes, she hadn't saved anyone. And apparently Jeff saw it the same way, "Oh fuck off." He snapped, pointing at Trixie warningly, "And don't you go thinking your some big shot, got it?"

After all she'd seen and gone through, a threat like that didn't both her as much as she felt it should have. She lightly shrugged Ben off of her and looked pointedly at Jeff, "Wouldn't dream of it."

"Enough of this." Shad ordered, glaring at them.

"I'm not doing anything!" Toby insisted, nudging the still motionless Jack with his foot, "And neither's he… Should we leave him here for Slendy. I don't really want to wake him up if he's going to hit me again."

Shad sighed, admiring the faith that the boy had for their mentor, "I'll take him into quarantine for now, Smile will keep watch over him until Slender returns. Until then, we have no choice but to wait."

Jeff rolled his eyes, "What makes you think the guy's coming back? Sure he had a good grip on Zalgo but that doesn't mean anything."

"He is coming back." Toby announced, "He promised."

"Like promises mean anything." Alice scoffed.

"Not to you because you don't make them." He shrugged, neck muscles twitching from a satisfying crack.

"He's pinned you there." Ben quipped.

"There's no sense in staying here doing nothing in the meantime." Shad ordered, bending down to scoop up Jack's limp body and indicating for smile to follow, "Just… go about your day. We'll know when Slender comes back to us."

"Because it's the fucking easiest thing to do, huh?" Jeff challenged.

Shad didn't even bother turning around, "Because it's the only thing to do."

* * *

When it reached late evening, Trixie realised that none of them were going anywhere. Waiting really was the only thing they could do. But they had no clue how long it was going to take for their mentor to return. If he returned. Slender had offered to strike a bargain with Zalgo, and that's all they knew. No more clues or explanations were given. And for that, Trixie found herself a little resentful, but she figured that it was for their own good. In all her time living with these people, she would never have guessed that Slender would be willing to protect them in such a way. Almost like a parent. It had really thrown her judgment, but not in a bad way. In fact it kind of made her understand Zalgo's words a little more. Slender really was trying to adopt human traits.

That night as she lay in her bed, strangely happy to be there all things considered, she stared at the ceiling in thought. If Slender did come back, then did that mean that things just went back to normal? Well as normal as it could get in a place like this. She understood what that meant. Having images of criminals purge through her mind to be drawn and sketched and then handed over for someone else to go out and kill. And now she knew why. Those who were killed had their souls harvested to pacify the hunger of a demon. Slender or Zalgo, it didn't matter. A demon nevertheless. But what if Slender didn't come back? What then? Were they free to go? No, things wouldn't be that simple. Trixie figured that Shad would most likely try and keep things running, just like he did when Slender vanished the first time. She felt sorry for him that no one else shared the same devotion as he. But, she wondered if really, the others did care in some way, they only dismissed it because they didn't want to be viewed as weak. It would make sense. Although it made just as much sense if they honestly didn't care. Maybe she'd never know. Frankly, she was alright it that. She was oddly alright with a lot more now then she was only a day or so ago.

She closed her eyes and willed sleep to come. Hours dragged by but the recurring images of Sickness induced nightmares haunted her. It was almost as if she could feel the restraints clamped around her chest, forcing her breaths out in rasps. Sleep would only last seconds before she'd jolt herself awake and have to take a few moments sitting up and clutching at her sheets to remind herself that it wasn't real. That Zalgo's false faces, both human and ashen, were not able to hurt her now. She was free for now. But the dread of unknown at how long that would last tormented her. Trixie pushed her dishevelled sandy hair from her face and looked at her watch. Six-Twenty-Three a.m. Who knows how much sleep she'd managed to salvage in the slow hours, but she knew that there was no way she was getting any more. Grudgingly, she forced herself from her bed and started up the shower, hoping to wash away the anxiety.

Minutes later, her skin was tingling from the extremities she took to scrub the invisible Sickness that she thought she felt hanging from her. Pulling on her jeans and a plain black cami, her eyes caught sight of the brand on her left shoulder. She didn't see it as something to be feared anymore, or as something that made her a possession. It was relatively like… Like it was something that gave her a place. It was her second chance. She kind of felt grateful to Zalgo for making her see that. If he hadn't taken Slender, no one would have seen how protective Slender was for them. Trixie smiled a little, tracing it with her finger once before leaving the bathroom and then her room, wondering into the corridor, the hunger in her stomach calling to her.

She yelped suddenly as something clasped around her shoulders, looking down she found that they were arms coated in a dowdy hoody, the scrape of a metal grate at the back of her head struck her as familiar, "Toby?"

"Hello!" he answered, releasing her from the koala-hug attack.

"What're you doing up?" she asked, arching an eyebrow, "And waiting outside my room?"

He shrugged, the crack in his neck making her wince, "I couldn't sleep, so I went for a walk and then I found out something awesome!" He paused dramatically, the excitement almost visible behind his goggles, "Slendy's back!"

She blinked in shock, "W-what? Seriously? Uh, okay, when? How?"

"No idea."

"So where is he now?" she urged.

"In the Informer." Toby nodded, "He's been calling all of his other Proxies back because he wants to discuss something."

"What's that?"

"Well if you're as curious as the rest of us then why not come along and find out?"

Trixie turned around at the second voice that started creeping over her shoulder, "Ben," she said with forced calmness, "after all that's happened, please can you not jump-scare me?"

"I'm sensing favouritism here." Ben smirked, indicating Toby's attempt at jumping her moments earlier.

She folded her arms, not really intimidated, more anxious about asking for more information when she was being toyed with again, "So when can we see Slender? Is Zalgo with him? What happened?"

"I told you," Toby sighed childishly, "We don't know yet, we're waiting our turn to talk to him."

"Best save our space in line then." Ben added, putting a hand on each of their shoulders and steering them around and down the corridor, "You should see Shaddy-boy, all his Christmas's have come early. Poor sap."

**A/N:**

**Yay Slender's back! But what is so important that he's calling in all of his Proxies? What deal did he make with Zalgo? Next chapter will tell XD**


	22. Crossroads

**A/N:**

**I am so sorry for the long wait, I hit a major case of writers block and nothing has been coming out right! But I managed to battle through so with any luck this should make up for the wait XD Thanks for the support guys!**

**Also, there will be some cameo's to other Creepypasta creatures and figures in this chapter. One of which is a retelling of Kissing Kate Barlow from the book 'Holes. Kisa Sohma Cookie wrote an amazing creepypasta using Kate's concept called 'Forever After', she's a great character and I love what Kisa has done with her in the retelling. Please give it a look! XD**

"Yeah see you around, Seedy." Ben saluted casually as the deformed creature stalked down the corridor, "We'll send Sally after you when we see her."

"Bye!" Toby grinned, "Come back soon!"

Trixie waited for the monstrosity vanished around the corner before looking at the boys, eyes wide and voice raspy, "What the hell was that?"

"Seedeater." Ben answered bluntly, nudging her to snap her back to reality.

She recalled the name from the website he'd shown her, "Isn't that the one that… kidnaps kids?"

Toby shook his head as they approached the common room door, neck cracking occasionally, "Just another story, what he really does is if there's a kid where one of us has a job, he takes the kid away so they don't get the Sickness. Then later on he brings them back."

"Oh…"

Ben shook his head in pretence disappointment, "So judgmental."

She scowled at him, "So misleading... And who's Sally?"

Ben opened the door to the common room with a smirk, stepping back as a little pink blur shot out and tackled Toby around the legs in a hug, "Toby!"

The spectre nodded matter-of-factly to the figure, "That's Sally, Seedy's little helper."

"Yeah good riddance you brat!" Jeff's voice snapped from inside the room, to which the girl turned her head and poked her tongue out.

"Hey Sally!" Toby replied with a grin, patting her head heavily, "You've been gone forever!"

The girl pulled back and pouted playfully, "Not my fault, Seedy got me loads of friends to play with." Her acid green eyes caught sight of Trixie, "Hello!"

She was so young… She couldn't have been more than eight years old. Her wavy brown hair hung past her shoulders and her pink dress looked with something dark and faded red. It was then that Trixie noticed her terribly pale completion and the faintest glimmer of red in her pupils that looked somewhat similar to Ben's. This little girl, this child, was dead… "Hi…"

"Are you new? I think you're new. I like new people! I'm Sally!"

"Trixie, it's uh, nice to meet you." She stammered, trying not to seem to taken back.

"Play with me?" she asked, a glint in her eye that seemed to chill the air. Trixie noticed the long scar travelling down the child's face, starting under her bangs on the right hand side and curving down her cheek and stopping at her jaw. How did one so young die like this?

Ben tousled the girls hair musingly, "Oh Trix is great to have fun with… But I think we're all kind of busy at the moment, kid."

"No fair… Everyone's so serious today!" she huffed. Trixie rolled her eyes, apparently it was going to take a lot longer before she stopped being viewed as a play thing around here.

Toby slumped in agreement, "I know right! What did Slendy want to talk to you and Seedeater about anyways?"

She grinned, putting her hands behind her back and swaying back and fore on her feet, "It's a secret…"

Trixie wasn't surprised at all, "I don't suppose you can give us a hint?"

"Nope!" she giggled.

"Now who's not being fair." Alice sneered as she leant in the doorway, cards shuffling in her hands, "Just like when you're playing."

"Well I don't win against you a lot!" Sally objected, still smiling as if totally unaware of the resentment in the woman's tone. Trixie suspected that like Toby, Sally did register it but deliberately ignored it.

"And even then I let you win."

"Hey!" Sally scowling and stamping her foot with a playful pout.

Trixie blinked in surprise. Alice actually lets someone win? Ben smirked at Trixie's expression and nudged Sally to get her attention, "Best make tracks, kid, Seedy doesn't like waiting."

"Whoops…" she giggled, suddenly leaning in to wrap her arms around Trixie's waist, "Play with me next time, okay?"

She put a hand on the girls head; she was so cold, "Yeah… yeah definitely."

"Great!" she pulled back and waved as she skipped off down the corridor, "Bye guys!"

"Bye!" Toby replied, waving wildly.

Trixie waited until the child was out of sight before following the others into the common room. It troubled her that a little kid like that could be dragged into this place. So many question ran through her head. How did Sally die? How did she become a Proxy? Was she a Passive or Active? The thought of the child killing someone scared her. No one should have to do experience that. Trixie sat on the sofa beside Toby in wait for their turn to be called in to see Slender. Jeff was angrily aiming his knife at the wall again, embedding it in the plaster before retrieving it to take aim again. Ben smirked and elbowed him with a taunting sneer.

"So how many times did she ask this time?"

"I lost count! God you would have thought she'd take a hint not to touch it by now!" he looked at his knife in frustration before pointing at Trixie ruefully, "Even the newbie figured it out in the end."

Trixie glanced up scornfully, but said nothing to him. Instead she looked to Alice, "How does Sally fit into all this? She's just a kid."

Alice shrugged, "Shit happened and Seedy took her in so she wasn't drifting around aimlessly."

"She's an annoying brat!"

"Jeff's not a fan of kids…" Ben commented, "In case you didn't notice."

"She's annoying, but not really a brat." Alice muttered, "More like fearless."

Toby pressed his mask against Trixie's ear roughly to try and whisper, "That's why she lets her win sometimes, because she makes Jeff angry."

"Makes sense…" she muttered, rubbing the sore spot on her cheek, "So who's Slender talking to now?"

"No idea." Jeff answered, taking aim once more, "Probably the two favourites."

She tilted her head questioningly, why hadn't she seen all these Proxies before now? "Two favourites?"

"Oh yeah, I keep forgetting you're still the newbie." Alice scoffed. Trixie wasn't sure if that was a compliment meaning that she was starting to fit in, or a quip that she was forgettable, but she was leaning with the latter. Either way suited her just fine. Alice continued, "Basically, if you're skilled enough then Slender sends you out on bigger jobs that can take up to days or weeks at a time. So that's where most of the others are, out on the big jobs while we're stuck getting the sharp end of a demons temper tantrum." She rolls her eyes, "There're two Proxies that have been with Slender from the start so they get all the good stuff."

Trixie shifted, "I would have thought Shad would have been the one to get jobs like that."

"He is." Ben smirked, "He just finishes them quickly. Unlike Masky and Hoody."

The two favourites, she guessed, "What are they? Demons?" Another guess from the odd names most likely acting to shield themselves. It was strange how this kind of logic made sense to her, there was a time when she would have laughed it off as nonsense.

"Half right." Toby answered, tilting his hand in a 'so-so' way before shrugging, his neck cracking harshly, "Spend long enough with a demon and you start to become one. Awesome right?"

She nodded half-heartedly to please him, but did not agree at all. But it was a life they chose, so they knew it was coming, "How long have they been away for?"

"Let's see… You've been here a month or so, so I guess… four years." Ben calculated musingly.

A four year job? Her jaw dropped a little in shock. Her imagination went wild as she tried to picture what these creatures could look like, what they'd be like. She pictured large, strong creatures with burning eyes, disfigured and ominous, but most of all cruel and heartless. However, that is the impression she first had of Smile, now here she was understanding that he was really a highly intelligent softy. Trying to expect something for certain was near impossible in a place like this.

"How many other Proxies are there?"

"Fuck knows." Jeff shrugged, turning around to give her a sour look, "And what's with all the questions?"

Trixie was about to answer, when she felt a weight on her shoulder. Ben had rested his elbow there and was flashing a knowing look, "Because we're the only ones answering them, right Trix?"

She looked at him quizzically. But slowly realised what he was getting at. What seemed like a lifetime ago when Ben had caught her early the morning he and Jeff took her out in a job. She'd taken advantage of him being there and had managed to get some answers out of him about how things worked. Like Jeff, he had asked her why the questions, to which she had replied 'You're just the only one who's answering them'. She gave a half smile, wondering why he remembered that, but chose not to press the matter. Knowing Ben, it was just him trying to toy with her. So she braved rolling her eyes and shrugging him away, to which he simply quirked an eyebrow.

"Wh-where is Shad?" she asked to distract herself from the ghost's behaviour.

"With Slendy I think," Toby nodded. His head jerked up suddenly at the sound of a door opening, "Slendy?"

No, it was not Slender beckoning them inside. In fact it seemed to be another Proxy on its way out. However it also wasn't the 'two favourites' either. It was just one Proxy who apart from the deathly pale complexion an odd yellow speckles on her arms looked like a normal human women in her late twenties, long blond hair showing from under a worn cowboy hat. Trixie blinked at the gun strapped to the strangers belt. A southern twang altered her voice.

"Sorry to disappoint darlin'."

Alice scoffed, "We're used to it. Long time no see, Kate."

"Could have been a bit longer." Jeff muttered curtly a look of near-hatred in his eyes.

"I'd wish the same thing, but the look on your face whenever we meet makes it worth while, little'un." she replied, corners of her mouth curving as if she'd used the nickname to irritate him in the past.

It worked evidently by the way his teeth gritted. Alice and Ben smirked their approval. Ben folded his arms quizzically, "What brings you here?"

"Ol' Slendy called me back; said I had a choice to make an' so do the rest of you." She shrugged passively, "I made it; now I'm going back to work." She glanced over and caught Trixie looking at her curiously, "So you're the newbie huh?"

Trixie gave her a sheepish shrug. Why did she seem so familiar to her? There was something about the accent, gun and name that rang a bell. "I guess so."

Toby grinned, "Yup! And guess what? She hasn't tried to kill me once!"

Ben rolled his eyes musingly, "Give her time, she's still learning."

Kate's eyebrow quirked in mild amusement, "Y'all might not get the chance."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Jeff demanded.

Kate shrugged as if annoying the killer was not only something she took pride in, but also with a sense of respect to Slender. She did not want to do his job of explaining, and frankly she had better things to do with her time, "It ain't my job to give spoilers, little'un. Find out yourself, he's calling y'all in."

"Why?" He urged, not eager to wait much longer.

"Maybe because you lot can't be left alone for ten minutes without ticking off the biggest Sickness carrier out there and now it's messin' with the rest of us."

"You say that, like it was intentional." Alice challenged, "You can tell Slender it sure as hell wasn't."

"He's just in there, pass it on yourself." Kate smirked as she started to cross the room to lean against the far wall, "Better get moving, Slendy ain't in no mood to be kept waiting."

"Thank you, Kate, I'll take it from here."

The groups attention was pulled back to the Informer door where Shad stood waiting. He wore an unusual blend of morbid seriousness, and amused curiosity in his face where he was relieved to have some normality returning but was also trying to portray the importance of the situation. Kate eyed him casually with a small nod. "If ya say so, Shadow-man."

Trixie had to give a small smile at the woman's confidence in holding personalized nicknames for the others. She doubted she'd ever get that comfortable or bold, but at least she was getting more vocal. She looked at Shad with as little anxiousness as she could muster, "Is everything okay?"

"It's difficult to say. But I assure you things shall become clear soon enough."

Kate offered a sly look, "You always gotta talk so cryptic-like, Shadowman?"

"Am I wrong?"

"Not at all." She shrugged and indicated to the door, "I'll leave y'all to it. I've got some work to take care of. I might catch some of ya later… if you're around."

Trixie looked at her curiously, "If we're around?"

"You'll see. Good luck to ya newbie." She smirked as she left the room, "And the rest of ya I guess."

"Uh… thanks?" Trixie muttered, unsure how to take that. Then again, she wasn't sure how to take a lot of things lately. She tilted her head to the others, finding if morbidly fascinating to hear the official backgrounds to her new acquaintances, "So… what's her story?"

"Ever heard of Kissing Kate Barlow?" Alice asked almost in scoff.

"Like, from the 'Holes' book?" she shook her head in refusal to believe this, "That's just a story people read in school. Fiction."

"And we're just fiction; stories that people read online." Ben rolled his eyes at the irony, "Yet we're here."

"There's a glimmer of truth in every story. Even if it pretends not to be." Shad clarified, backing away slightly, "Now please follow me, Slender has some words for you."

* * *

Slender stood before them looking as pristine as he had the day Trixie first saw him. White, featureless face free from sunken effects of Sickness, his suite straight and all traces of strain and dishevelment gone. He had welcomed them back in his usual articulate nature, his voice echoing in their minds as he mentally projected it. There were hints of rasps where it was evident he had been talking lengthily. It was only natural, he had a lot of Proxies, and the vast majority of them had passed through these doors that early morning. Slender wanted to gather these particular Proxies all at once because of what they had been forced to go through. He felt they were stronger for it, and would appreciate the added company. He had much to discuss.

He welcomed them, asked of their health and how they were coping. And although it was of genuine concern, it still seemed a lot like small-talk. He wanted to press on, but he wasn't sure how. So he felt it best to start with informing them of the most recent of events, _I was not able to get Jack through the Sickness… He escaped some hours ago and I cannot locate him…_

Trixie felt her jaw drop. She'd seen how savage he was when the Sickness swarmed him, and now he was out in the open among innocent people doing who knows what. But he was so scared, he wasn't himself, "You really can't find him?"

_It is as though his brandment has been stripped clean… He has simply vanished…_

"What do you mean vanished?" Alice demanded, "What the hell is the point of being branded if you can trace anyone with it?"

Shad gave her a look, but Slender interjected, _I think that someone has lured him away, and you know who I am suspecting…_

"What does Zalgo want with Jack?" Jeff asked, "He's useless."

"I think the point is that Zalgo has the ability to steal and contain Proxies. Not unlike you." Shad stated, eyes narrowed.

That seemed to silence them. The air seemed thick with unease. Slender allowed them a moment to let the information sink in, it would be important later for the choice they had to make. Trixie furrowed her brow, the brand on her shoulder prickling slightly. Thanks to this, they were easy to find. But they were also protected because Slender was back with them. It was as if they were trapped. The two demons pulling at them and although the difference in motives was evident, the conflict still hurt.

Slender clasped his hands together, trying to find his words, _But that is not all I have to inform you of…_

Toby nodded eagerly, "You're telling me! What happened after we left? You look alright to me."

_Zalgo and I had words to say the least… And yes, I did make another offer with him…_

"Because those worked out so well in the past." Ben quipped.

_In the briefest of descriptions, after some discussion of sorts, Zalgo has agreed to return to our previous arrangement in return of our safe return, but with the additional price that his share of souls must increase vastly…_

Jeff scoffed, "Oh so we're giving the bad guy more freedom because he wasn't enough of a threat already, nice one Slendy…"

Even Trixie had to agree with that one. What was Slender thinking? Giving Zalgo exactly what he wants would just make him more powerful, and Slender weaker in the meantime. And after all the things she'd seen, he didn't need the help. Shad sighed as if reading their thoughts and said with forced calmness, "You are not letting him finish."

Slender gave Shad a small nod of appreciation, _I agree that this may not seem the most convenient of arrangements, but allow me to expand on the productive connotations with this… You see now Zalgo is under the impression that he has total freedom and has gotten his wishes in thinking that he has intimidated us, and will therefore be careless in his endeavours… He will be more than easy to observe and restrict when needed… _

"A false sense of security." Trixie clarified, earning herself some surprised looks from the others, "You let him think he's won so he'll underestimate you if he tries this again and you might find Jack as well."

Ben folded his arms and arched an eyebrow at Slender, "You're just as conniving and devious as the rest of us, aren't you Slendy? Gotta say, I'm impressed."

_Thank you… But yes, Beatrix, those were exactly my intentions when bargaining with Zalgo…However, this also brings along another matter than needs to be discussed… _

Trixie felt her stomach drop anxiously and Alice gave a bemused smile, "Ah there's more surprises, aren't we lucky."

"Sshhhh!" Toby snapped, looking back up at Slender like a child looking for guidance.

_The increase in soul collection obviously means that there will be more to ask of you as my Proxies… That means more, as you call it, work… However after recent events I have come to understand that harvesting you all to do my own work has been more than selfish and I wish to apologise and offer something that I hope will be sufficient as an apology…_ Slender seemed to hesitate, not solemnly but thoughtful, _I offer you a second chance at your choice, to pick if you want to continue your lives here or to leave and attempt to start again…_

Trixie was secretly glad that she was not the only one who froze. Was he serious? "You're letting us go? For real?" Jeff questioned, arms folded disbelievingly, "What's the catch?"

Alice elbowed him roughly, "Shut up."

"You don't want us here anymore?" Toby asked cautiously.

_That is not the case at all…_ Slender reassured, _I would not go to such extremes to bring you back from Zalgo safely if I did not want you here… However I understand the strains this position holds and am offering you a way out…_

"I'm staying." Ben smirked, raising a hand instantly with a musing smile in place as he indicated down to his hovering form, "What's out there for someone in my condition anyways?"

Trixie stared at him. She understood his reasoning's, after all he was dead; but his quickness to answer threw her off. This was her chance to get away from this. She'd be free. There'd be no more murders or demons or bloodshed. And she'd be…. No she wouldn't be back with her family, or her friends. None of her old life at all. Technically, she was still wanted for a murder she didn't commit. But that was no excuse to stay here where her drawings and actions as a Passive could cause the murders of so many others. But that wasn't right either, it was the victims who lined themselves up unknowingly, all she did was locate them. She was somewhat safe here… But in freedom she could find some hope of a real life again…

Toby grinned, "I'm staying too! I like it here with you guys, most of the time anyways!"

"Agreed…" Shad muttered, the closest thing to a smile he'd shown in a long time. He'd made his choice earlier that morning. Of course he wasn't going anywhere. He thought about his beloved Emily, how his repeat choice would only ensure his distance from her… But it was for the best. She didn't belong in this world and he'd happily let Zalgo have his true name before she was dragged into it.

Alice was still stunned. She'd been in this life for so long, wanting to get out again, that now she had the chance she was sure there was some sort of trick here. If she was honest with herself, she liked the thrill of getting caught. The pang of rebellion she felt when she deliberately took longer than needed on a job. Yes, she wanted freedom… But, it wasn't worth a thing if she didn't fight for it. She opened her mouth to speak, when someone beat her too it.

"Yeah because I'm gonna fit right in out there aren't I?" Jeff sneered sarcastically so his scars stretched a little wider pointedly, "Fuck it, I'm staying right here." He figured it was best not to mention that he enjoyed killing too much to be out there. If he killed as much as he wanted to without a Proxy brand, his soul was as good as harvested. Here, he had protection.

She rolled her eyes, "You're just saying that because you knew I was going to stick around Jeffy-boy."

"Don't flatter yourself! I said it first! You're just staying because you'll miss me too much." He scoffed, eyeing her mockingly.

"You know what, Jeff, I would miss you." She smiled wryly and patted his cheek with more force than necessary so she practically slapped him, "No one make me want to kill someone quite like you."

"Trix?" Toby asked, making her jump, "What about you?"

She looked around at the eyes that were all fixed on her. Jeff and Alice didn't seem bothered about her awaiting answer, Toby tilted his head with a sickening crack in hopefulness, Ben simply remained in his laid back manner while Shad and Slender stood with calm expectancy, perfectly accepting to whatever answer she gave. Her mouth opened and closed as she struggled with words. To leave mean to risk wrong accusation but have a chance at sanity. She'd seen so much here and learnt double, she wasn't sure if she could see the world in the same way if she left. But she could try. Why did she agree to stay the first time? She tried to remember… It was out of defeat so she didn't have to face the hospital and accusations again. Here she knew for certain that she was innocent. But she would be staying with those who had put her in this position in the first place. Murderers, demons and who knows what else. To stay meant to risk containment but have security no matter how fragile. The choice of sanity or insanity, running away or hiding forever. The bottom line was that no matter what she chose, she was going to be living in a constant state of unease and possibly fear.

"I…" she swallowed thickly.

"Beatrix," Shad offered, "No one is going to force you to choose one or the other."

"But for the record, we're not that bad…" Ben smirked.

Jeff huffed, "Get on with it newbie."

"Nice persuasion, Jeffy-boy." Alice quipped.

_Beatrix,_ Slender said calmly, _All you have to do is say the word and it shall be done…_

"Okay. Th-thank you… I want, well I guess that I'll…" She nodded in appreciation, her mind still a blur of questions and choices and different paths. But she knew they were waiting on her and she couldn't exactly keep stalling. Finally, she looked up to the pale face of Slenderman and took a breath as she said loudly and clearly the choice that she had made…

**A/N:**

**Oh so what is Trixie going to choose. Will she stay or will she go? And will Zalgo just accept this deal and be done with it? Is there a little more than meets the eye? Where is Jack? Well there's only one more chapter after left so we'll have to wait and see XD**


	23. Waiting

**A/N;**

**Well, here it is, the final chapter. And will there be a sequel? That's up to you guys as usual lol XD Thank you everyone for the support, the fan art, the comments and help, all of it. Thank you so much! XD It's been a pleasure writing this for all of you.**

"Good boy, Jack, I'm so happy you came back to me."

The boy half sobbed, doubled over on his knees as the black ooze poured from his eyes, "You said you wouldn't leave me alone, I had to come back." He ran a hand over his neck, the unbearable pain of having his brand exterminated throbbing uneasily, "Y-You'll keep your promise won't you?"

The demon sneered, putting a hand on Jack's shoulder, "Of course my boy… After all you did so well."

"I failed though." He shuddered, "I couldn't kill them like you asked. They were too strong. I… I don't even remember trying to hurt them; only being… angry."

"I know, my boy, I know. And you had every right to be angry. After all they did to you… They took your sight. They took your family. They forced you to kill. Let you feast on the remains of your victims like an animal. And then they leave you to deal with your crimes all on your own without a word of comfort. Anger and fear are exactly what you should be feeling."

"I… I don't want to feel like this anymore… I don't know what to do. H-Help me, Zalgo… Please!

Zalgo smiled, letting his charred lips peel back to reveal the gleaming fangs behind, "Why, Jack, all you needed to do was ask."

Jack sobbed again as he sank to the floor. Zalgo's hand on his shoulder started to burn, claws denting into the skin savagely. Jack exhaled in pain, trying to turn his head to get a sense of what was happening. Why was he hurting him? Wasn't he meant to help him? Was the pain helping? He didn't know anymore. He just wanted to get away from all of this! The pain seared through his skin, coursed into his blood and seared through the blackness of his eyes. The small strands of sanity that webbed across his mind started to snap and dissolve as the agony burned around them. What is happening? he mentally asked weakly, I don't remember what… Where am… I don't…

Zalgo moved around to grasp the boys chin, forcing him to look upwards. He grinned sadistically, "Such a good boy… Now, go join the others."

Jack nodded languidly, barely conscious. Struggling to his feet and trudged heavily away to stand in line with two humanoid figures somewhat taller than him. Of course he could not see them, but it was as if he could not sense them either. All he could feel was Zalgo's Sickness turning molten in his being. But, he couldn't bring himself to fight it. It was making him forget, taking away all feeling… It was perfect… The two lined with him found themselves in an identical state. One stood straight, his thin but strong looking frame covered by a faded yellow jacket, his face concealed by a white plastic mask, the eyes and mouth layered with blackened ink, a mess of coffee-coloured hair hanging over the top. The second was on the bulkier side, made to look stronger by the oversized amber hooded jacket; the hood pulled high to hold the black veil in place over his face. The only signs of features that were present, were the red stitches to portray eyes and a mouth. Should Jack be aware of his surroundings, he would have known them. All proxies did. They were Slender's two favourites after all.

"I understand that when all of this foolishness began, you were not so happy to join me." Zalgo chuckled, striding back and fore as if to mock them, "I believe your words were something along the lines of it being a disgrace to Slender and you would rather be consumed by the Sickness than follow me. Well, it seems you have had your wish. And now, here you are. I admit it was more fun than dear Jack here who willingly came to me… But I admire his cooperative nature and plan to reward it." He paused for a moment, enjoying the peace and quiet before continuing, "And as you know, poor Slender is under the illusion that he has fooled me. Yes, I admit the increase of souls is a bonus, but that does not mean that I so not know his plan. He thinks that he can keep an eye on me, observe me like a human degenerate! He underestimated me… Greatly. I am simply biding my time."

Zalgo grabbed a fistful of the masked mans hair, forcing him to look upwards as he yanked harshly. No reaction was given. They were lifeless unless he said so. Like wise he moved over to the hooded figure, slapping his hidden face with the back of his hand so the figure recoiled, but instantly resumed position. The pain didn't even register. Zalgo released him and resumed his pacing.

"Slender gave away valuable information, not intentionally but he always was foolish. It seems that he has grown attached to his Proxies, more so than expected, I laugh at the idea that he thinks of them as his own spawn… But that is his mistake. You are my experiments, my stolen Proxies. And how well you are working out. I must say I'm proud." He clapped condescendingly, "But you're not enough I'm afraid. I need all of Slender's Proxies if I really want to take away all that he has. No Proxies, no souls, and no souls, no strength. And no strength… He will be perfect for me to dispose of." He sighed and looked at his three puppets, "It'll take time if I want you ready to lure them here. But when the time comes; I'll be unstoppable."

He turned away from his minions, grinning openly to the darkness around him. This was going to be perfect. All he had to do was bide his time.

"Slender… I'm waiting…"

* * *

Trixie stood in the crisp night air, closing her eyes a moment to inhale deeply before opening them to take in the sight of the house before her. Her house. The number 6 had been fixed back into place and everything looked as it should be. You could barely tell it apart from the other homes on the street. Only one thing made it different. And that was the For Sale sign standing mockingly in the front yard. She sighed, wanting to rip it from the ground and toss it. But instead she glared at it for a moment before turning back to the house. She wanted to go in and… she didn't know, just feel at some again. But she couldn't. It wasn't her home anymore. It was no ones. It was difficult to sell a house where a family had been murdered brutally by a psychopathic girl who had escaped from her metal facility and hasn't been found. Or so the story goes… But here she was. And she'd made her choice.

"I miss you." She whispered, images of her parents and brother clear in her mind, knowing they could not hear her but not caring, "And I'm not turning my back on you; weirdly enough doing this is the best way to stay sane… Kind of ironic really but… it's true. I'm sorry, about everything. And… I miss you so much."

She flinched as she felt a hand on her shoulder, _I do not wish to hurry you, Beatrix, I know this is difficult for you… It is not too late to change your mind…_

"No, I know." She nodded, looking up at the ivory faced demon standing behind her. She knew that he was nearby, but felt a little embarrassed at having him listen to her, "I'm not changing my mind…" Giving one last look to her previous home, she smiled, "I'm ready to go back now. If, you know, if you're still needing a Passive Proxy."

Slender patted her shoulder with a faint sense of humour before holding his arm out for her to lead the way, _After you, Beatrix…_

Trixie obeyed, pulling the hood of her jacket up over her head so she didn't have to see her old life fading from her as they walked, "Do you… Do you think I'm crazy for staying?"

_Not at all…_ Slender assured, _Although the life I offer is not perfect or in fact stable, I suppose you would think it better than a life on the run from a judgment you don't deserve…_

Although he didn't have any spite or passive aggression in his tone at all, she still felt guilty, "I'm not choosing it because of that."

_Oh…?_

"I'm choosing it because, in some twisted sense I don't understand, I feel safer as a Proxy."

_Even through your artwork will be used to locate those lined up for death…?_

"You say it's to stop them hurting other people, or because they've done something unforgivable… I admit I'm still getting used to the idea and no I don't fully agree but, it's how things work so I'll have to get used to it. I understand."

_I admire your understanding, Beatrix, and appreciate it…_

She didn't know how to reply to that, so instead gave a small not of acknowledgment, "Are you surprised that the others stayed too?"

_Honestly, no… They may say that their reasons to stay is based on their love of the kill and do not want to end up on my list as a result, but I know the truth… Like you, they seek security and a purpose… Although I would appreciate you don't tell them that I am aware of this…_

"They'd only call me a liar anyway." She said with a small laugh, but it was short lived. Her eyes tore away from the ground and peered up at her mentor, "Do you think you'll ever find Jack?"

There was a pause. That was a difficult question. Of course he had his theory, but a theory didn't count as a solution. When his voice finally projected through her mind, it spoke with the only answer he could give; _I will keep searching until I do…_

At that, her eyes lowered back to the ground as they continued their way. He was worried, she could tell. But he was also honest. Trixie had a feeling that he hadn't given a definite 'yes' as an answer because he didn't want to build his own hopes up as well as hers and the others. It was still odd for her to think a demon could show a sense of compassion for beings lesser than him. But it was a something she was grateful for. They didn't talk much on the way back after that. What else was there to say?

Yes, she knew that the outside world was now going to be a privilege that would not come often. And most of the people who she would be sharing her life with were not exactly who she would have considered. But Slender had a point, they were all in the same position as her. They had been thrown together through horrific circumstances and they had to battle through it. She recalled what she had been told when she had first been dropped into this world. There's little room for fear, and to survive you need to fight.

* * *

"Finished yet newbie?"

Trixie jumped a little at the sudden sneer in her ear. It was still taking some time to get used to Jeff and his impatient demands for her sketches. She gave one more glance over her drawing before tearing it from the sketchpad and holding it out, "Here. You know I'm not the only one who can give jobs, right?"

"Yeah well Ben's a lazy ass." He returned, snatching the paper from her.

"I beg to differ." Ben interjected coolly, "My work simply takes a little longer to get results."

Alice rolled her eyes from the sofa, "Excuses, excuses…"

Jeff turned on her, "Look who's talking!"

"I'm an Active, Jeffy-boy, my reasons for work or lack thereof is the same as yours."

"Hey don't forget about me!" Toby announced, but he gave a grin Trixie's way as he sat on the floor play-wrestling with Smile, "But I don't want to work just yet so no worries, Trix."

Trixie gave a smile in thanks as she closed the sketchbook and only half listened to the bickering between Jeff and Alice. She was used to it by now anyway. It was almost off putting how used to all of this she had become. But she found that she wasn't complaining. Jeff still gave her a sense of dread when he raised his voice. Alice was till intimidating in her own right. Toby was, confusing but she still found him oddly harmless. Shad she still saw as a guardian of sorts. And as for Ben, she was still trying to pick between patronizing or simply cocky; the fact that he was living dead didn't really come into the equation anymore.

She licked the side of her pinkie finger then rubbed it on her jeans to erase a pencil smudge as she thought. Jack was still lost, and Zalgo was still out there. But at least Slender was prepared with time. The thought of that evil, power hungry demon being fed and free was terrifying, and made her skin scrawl. And the fact that he could possibly be keeping one of them captive, well it made her sick. But Slender had promised not to give up until Jack was found. And after all that had happened, she had no reason not to trust him.

"Huh?" she jumped as she became aware of a pair of blackened eyes with embers for pupils looking curiously at her.

Ben smirked, "Figured I'd drag you back to reality before you get too lost in thought."

"Yeah, thanks for that." She answered. He nudged her, delivering a static shock in the process. She flinched and gave him a quizzical look. What had she done to deserve this one but her only answer was a smirk. She sighed, "Are you guys ever going to stop seeing me as the newbie to toy with?"

"Honestly, Trix, probably not," he shrugged, "But you earned some brownie points by sticking around so only time will tell."

"You like your riddles don't you?"

"Maybe…"

"And I'm going to have to put up with this daily aren't I?"

"Everyone else does, you're not getting special treatment unless you ask for it."

"I… don't want to know." She answered with a little bemusement.

"Hey kid," Alice announced suddenly, "So when's my next job coming?"

"Oh now you're interested in work." Jeff huffed sarcastically.

Toby shrugged pointedly, "Technically she never said she wasn't…"

Ben rolled his eyes and gave Trixie a musing look, "I'll handle that one."

Trixie gave him a look, but figured if he wanted the work then she wasn't complaining. She didn't feel like drawing more dead anyway. He returned to his laptop, ready to keep his word. Yes, she still had no idea what to think of that one. But she figured there was no point trying, it wasn't like she was going anywhere. At that thought, she hesitated. She really wasn't going anywhere now. This was how things were. And although it was no where near ideal, it was safe and secure for the most part. And she supposed being a Proxy wasn't that bad. It was… interesting to say the least. And she kind of liked interesting…

* * *

Shad peered trough the gap in the door, observing the group from the Informer. He had to admit that he held some respect to them for choosing to stay. It was not something he foresaw. In fact he almost expected the majority of them to run. Yet there they were, and he was almost proud even though he was in the same position as them. He too had been given the offer, but he had stopped Slender before he finished. He was not going to leave after all that had happened. It was his duty to be loyal to his mentor and he kept it high in his priority. He gave one last glance at the others, listening to their bickers, their laughter and even the insults, and couldn't help but give an approving smile before turning back to Slender. There was still so much to discuss. And so much that had been kept secret. He needed to know why.

"Sir, why aren't you telling them about the other disappearances? Hoody and Masky," he paused, he still found those cover names ridiculous but then again they were simple in their endeavours so he supposed it fit, "We both know that they have not been working all these years. Why did you not tell the others this?"

Slender turned his head, almost ashamed for his secrecy. But he had his reasons, _I could not worry them… And they are not lost as such, like Jack I know where they might be…_

"But it's not definite, Sir. I mean no disrespect but should something be done about this?"

_Something is being done about this… I am simply waiting for the opportune moment… Too soon will alert Zalgo that we are onto him…_

"But too late could cost three innocent lives, Sir. I stand by your choices, Sir as always, but I don't always understand them."

_And I respect your honesty and curiosity… And yes, I'm aware of the risks… But I assure you, I know what I am doing…_

Shad was still unsure, but he had never been given a reason to distrust his leader before, and he wouldn't start now. He nodded, "Yes Sir…"

_Oh, and Shadow Lurker…?_

"Yes Sir?"

Slender gave an air of understanding, a nod of encouragement, _You have my permission to visit your Emily whenever you wish… Just promise you shall be careful…_

Shad looked up at him in awe. This was against regulation, a rule he had been breaking with some regret since the start and now Slender was giving him his blessing? He breathed slowly, taking it in. He knew he would not be able to talk to Emily, or even have her know him like he knew her. But, to see her, was the world to him, "Th-Thank you, Sir. That… Thank you."

Slender nodded, and patted his shoulder approvingly. His proxies were what made his choice to remain among the humans much more worth while. He turned away in thought. Shad was right in the fact that acting too late would be risky, but he had to trust his instincts. Things were not over by a long shot and he accepted it. But at least he knew that his Proxies were safe. And he would get all of them back once again. It would just be a matter of biding his time. Biding his time… and a hell of a lot of luck.

_Zalgo… I'm waiting… _

**A/N:**

**The End…?**

**That's up to you guys remember!**

**Thanks again guys! I've loved writing this and I've loved hearing what you all thought of it, it's been amazing! And yes I'll admit I kinda ship Ben and Trixie, so sue me, I'm broke haha! Thank you again guys! XD**


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